Student Accident Raises Calls For More Safety Measures At High School Crossing

By Lisa E. Crowley
BrocktonPost
BROCKTON—School officials have added a new crossing guard and are seeking other steps to prevent a similar near fatal accident at Brockton High’s entrance on Belmont like the one that has 16-year-old Redondo Constant struggling to recover from severe internal injuries after a van plowed into the teen before school Tuesday.
“We’re all praying for him,” said Michael Thomas, executive director of the district’s office of operations and administration who was headmaster of the high school’s Azure House where Thomas got know Constant.
“I know him very well—he’s a happy-go-lucky kid. He has a good sense of humor and is very popular…we’re all in shock and we’re all pulling for him,” he said.
Thomas said in his 20 years working for the school department he is unaware of a student suffering such a catastrophic accident as the one Redondo has suffered.
On Tuesday at about 6:45 a.m. officials said a white utility van driven by 20-year-old Jose Tacuri smashed into Constant as he tried to cross Belmont Street from the high school entrance to McDonald’s—a popular spot for students before and after school.
Officials said Constant headed into the busy 6-lane street and into a crosswalk despite the green light that allowed traffic the right of way heading east to west.
He was nearly halfway across the thoroughfare when Tacuri’s van smashed into Constant and sent him sprawling horribly 30-feet into the air.
Numerous people who saw what happened immediately called 911 and began to help the prostrate student.
Constant’s injuries were so severe, rescue personnel wanted to fly Constant by helicopter to Boston Medical Center, but because of high winds helicopters could not fly, and Constant was raced by ambulance with life-threatening internal injuries and a broken arm.
Officials in contact with Constant’s family said he is listed in stable but critical condition and has been placed in a drug-induced coma to aid in the healing process.
Officials said Thursday Constant showed signs of improvement.
The driver of the van, Tacuri, faces a charge of driving without a license.
Constant, a popular and active member of the school, was also a student leader on the school's Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools, or REMS, team that prepares teachers, staff, students, police, fire and other personnel for school emergencies such as drug raids, potential Columbine-like shootings, and other emergency situations.
However, the federally funded grant program does not address student safety when it comes to crossing streets or proper pedestrian safety.
Wednesday night school officials called an emergency meeting that included Acting Police Chief Manuel Gomes and school officer Lt. Donald Mills to discuss measures to prevent another accident like this one—especially since school committee members have worked for at least the last 2 years to address the safety issue posed by the congested roadway.
Thomas said Superintendent Matthew Malone and the police department have been criticized for removing a police officer that monitored the crosswalk in the past or worse, ignored pleas from school officials to replace the officer.
Thomas said he contacted his predecessor who said it was not the police who removed the officer, but the state Highway Department which maintains and owns the road.
Thomas said the police officer has not guarded the intersection for 8 years.
He said the state advises against police officers because often the conflict between a police officer directing traffic and the changing of signal lights causes more confusion for drivers.
Thomas said the roadway has been studied several times and has been found to be dangerous, but it appears it will be studied again because the state plans to reconstruct the roadway beginning in August or late summer and after Constant’s accident officials want to provide more input on design plans.
Thomas said one option is to install new digital crosswalk signs that count down the number of seconds pedestrians have until the light turns green and motorists can go.
A whole host of improvements are planned, including widening of the roadway and the relocation and alignment of a BAT bus stop moved that are expected to create a less dangerous journey for pedestrians and motorists.
Either way any changes will be too late for Constant, and wheelchair-bound veteran Edwin Nelson who was killed by a motorist in the same crosswalk in October, 2011.
Thomas said as school officials work to better the crossing, their prayers will be with Constant for his full recovery—something Thomas himself is familiar with.
When he was 24, Thomas said, he was in a terrible accident when he broke his leg and suffered extensive internal injuries.
Like Constant, he was young and with the best medical care, positive attitude, family support and youth, he has overcome nearly all affects from the accident.
“When you’re young and healthy you have more of a chance. You’re body is more resilient and able to heal—we hope that is the case with Redondo,” Thomas said.