Girl in Natrona Killed by Driver
Crash
On August 20 at 7:20 PM, 11-year-old Roxanne Bonnoni crossed North Canal Street in Natrona on her way home from the park when she was hit by a driver. Emergency medical services were called and tried to save her, but she died at the scene. The driver stayed on site and has not been charged, although Roxanne’s mother claims that he was intoxicated.
Context
While other sections of North Canal Street are maintained by Allegheny County, the segments on either end of the western intersection with Kuntz Street are maintained by Harrison Township. It is one of only three roads into Natrona, but has fairly low levels of traffic. For a long time it saw about 2,000 vehicles per day, but after 2016 it saw a steep drop off, and by 2020 was seeing less than 800 per day, 12% of which were trucks serving the large Ludlum Steel facilities on either side of the community. The street is only 23 feet wide, with no parking on either side, and no lane markings. Within one block of where the crash happened there are four “watch children” signs, which have been joined by several unofficial signs since the crash, as can be seen above. The intersection is in the middle of a 1,000-foot stretch between stop signs. The posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour, but the Bonnoni’s neighbor, Geoff Shock, told reporters that "People fly through here constantly.”
Countermeasures
If Roxanne’s mother is correct and the driver was under the influence of alcohol, then they are, of course, entirely at fault. The Institute for Road Safety Research has a fact sheet on effective preventative measures for drunk driving, including ankle bracelet monitors and DUI checkpoints (and notably not including lower blood alcohol limits or harsher penalties). But even if that proves to be true, there are improvements to infrastructure that can reduce the severity of crashes caused by drunk drivers.
This stretch of road lacks any markings. Simple lane markings and high-visibility crosswalks would be the place to start. Lane markings could also be used as a fast, cheap way to narrow the lanes, which reduces driver speed. Of course, it would be better to physically narrow the road. 20 feet is sufficient for the volume and the desired speed of traffic. The extra space could be used to widen the narrow sidewalks and add street trees, which further reduce speeds. An intermediate step could be narrowing the road at intersections by adding curb extensions, which would make pedestrians more visible.
Contact
North Canal Street is owned and maintained by Harrison Township. You can reach Township Manager Amy Rockwell by email here. Let her know that simple road markings, narrower lanes, and/or curb extensions would make North Canal Street safer for residents.