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Student recounts crosswalk collision; village launches preliminary pedestrian‑safety campaign
Summary
An incoming Vernon Hills High School sophomore told the board she was hit at a marked crosswalk; the police announced a preliminary crosswalk-safety campaign with school‑district outreach, social media messaging and traffic compliance checks, and village engineers will pursue intersection safety studies this fall.
Sophie Mitchell, an incoming sophomore at Vernon Hills High School, told the Village Board she was struck by a car while riding her bike through a marked crosswalk on Fairview Drive on June 26 and urged officials to install flashing lights at the south crosswalk and the crosswalk nearer the school to protect students.
"I was crossing the road at the crosswalk, but the older lady wasn't paying attention. She hit the back my back wheel, and I fell over and off my bike," Mitchell said. She described cuts and bruises and told the board that a simple sign is not enough because "very few people care about the sign, and people always speed."
The board heard the account and discussed the precise intersections involved; trustees said staff had been examining the two problematic locations and expected proposals in September. The issue was already on the village's agenda: the police department briefed the board on a preliminary pedestrian‑safety campaign prompted by earlier public comments and Mitchell's account.
The deputy chief said the effort is early-stage and focused on coordination and education as well as enforcement. "We've begun crafting and posting crosswalk safety messaging to our social media platforms, and we are actively coordinating with staff from District 73" ahead of the school year, the deputy chief said, and noted the department has directed its traffic coordinator to organize compliance checks on identified roadways. Those checks "began last week, and they will continue until the time we determine a different strategy is warranted," he said.
Staff and the village engineer also described near-term planning steps. The village is preparing a request for proposals for intersection‑design consultants to perform safety analyses at several locations, including Fairway and an Aspen intersection near an elementary school. The engineer told the board the consultant will collect traffic volumes, accident history and options for pedestrian and bicycle improvements, with a target to award a contract in September and to begin study work thereafter.
Next steps outlined at the meeting included continued enforcement checks by the police department, expanded public‑education messaging coordinated with District 73 and the village, outreach to residents who reported incidents, and an engineering study that could lead to physical changes at intersections. Board members encouraged staff to incorporate crossing-guard input and to prioritize locations used by students who walk to school.
The village did not announce a funding decision or a firm construction timetable for new hardware such as flashing beacons; staff said they would return with proposals and more detailed cost and schedule information.
