Friends of Steven Crowder, who died at the age of 14 in a bicycle-motor vehicle accident last summer, have asked the Orion Township Board to request a review to add more sidewalks to the area.
Crowder was killed on June 24, 2002 when he was struck from behind by a car while riding his bicycle with friends down Heights Road near Odanah. Accident reports said Crowder left the shoulder and entered the roadway when he was then hit by the car.
Kyle Dallafior, Shane Tobin, Matt Snyder, Radu Marginean, and Mike LoPresti, freshmen at Lake Orion High School and friends of Crowder, made a presentation at the March 3 township board meeting, asking the board to forward a request to the safety path advisory committee for review, and to report back to the board about constructing more sidewalks.
Orion Township Clerk Jill Bastian introduced the group to the board.
“I live on Heights Road…One of these young men approached me because they knew of my interest in safety paths,” she explained.
The group proposed safety path construction along Lapeer Road, between Clarkston and Heights; along M-24 between Clarkston and Scripps, leading to Lake Orion High School; safety paths or sidewalks anywhere along Heights, between M-24 and Pine Tree, if possible; and a crosswalk light installed at the intersection of Lapeer and Clarkston.
The group also presented the board with a petition signed by residents supporting the construction of more safety paths.
“Our propose is to prevent the same tragedy that happened to Steven Crowder,” said Snyder.
“We’ve got now close to 30 miles of safety paths in this township,” said supervisor Jerry Dywasuk. “We’ve been trying our (best) to get young people like yourself on committees.”
Trustee Eric Wilson said the board should also consider adding the intersection of Flint and M-24 to the list for installation of a light.
“It’s impossible to get across…it’s a wonder there hasn’t been an accident there,” he said.
“That intersection is in the village though,” said Dywasuk.
“They vote for us too,” replied Wilson.
Wilson proposed, and the board voted for, adopting the resolution to support the construction of more safety paths, and forward it to the safety path committee and the Road Commission for Oakland County. Trustee Richard Tomczak said the board should also forward the resolution to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).