WYOMING, Pa. — The playgrounds are full in Wyoming as summer break approaches, but one family is starting the summer differently after a 10-year-old was struck by a car almost a week ago.
"Summer should be filled with laughter, fun, and great memories. Unfortunately, my daughter's summer is starting off in intensive care," said Keith Brown.
It's the busy intersection at 8th and Butler Street in Wyoming that changed everything for Keith Brown.
"Her bus stop is right here; our house is right there. We cross this intersection every single day. And even then, it's still a struggle," said Brown.
Brown says his daughter, Alexis, was crossing to get to the playground on Friday. Then, he got the call she was hit by a car.
"You never think these situations could happen to you until they happen to you, and in a split second, our entire world was flipped upside down," said Brown.
Brown says his 10-year-old is recovering from a brain bleed, facial fractures, and broken bones at Geisinger near Danville. But this dad is wasting no time taking action.
"There are no crossing signs, nothing here indicating pedestrians can cross; nothing to alert the drivers," explained Brown.
Brown says he's noticed the road has gotten busier over the years, with the closure of the Firefighter's Memorial Bridge connecting Pittston to West Pittston. But, with the changes to the flow of traffic, there hasn't been any change in safety
"I would love to see some type of flashing lights; I've seen it around other local parks, where there is a speed monitor, and it tells you to slow down if you're exceeding the speed limit. I would like to see something in the middle of the road to reduce the speed,"
Brown has the support of the borough behind him. Wyoming Mayor Joseph Dominick said to Newswatch 16 in a statement:
"The borough council and myself are very happy to hear Alexis is recovering from the horrible accident this past Friday at the intersection of 8th and Butler Street on her way to the park. I have known the Brown family for over 10 years, and my heart goes out to them during this difficult time. The borough is committed to ensuring additional safety measures are added to this area in coordination with PennDOT, as 8th Street is a state road. We have reached out to our state representative to see what options are available. With PennDOT's approval, we would like to see more signage in addition to what is currently in place. We are hopeful PennDOT can address adding a permanent crosswalk similar to the ones they did on Wyoming Ave near 10th Street. Traffic has drastically increased on 8th Street since the bridge closure in West Pittston. The borough council and myself are committed to improving safety around the park to help prevent an accident like this from happening in the future."
PennDOT also says it's willing to work with the borough to make the intersection safer.
"We just want to be able to have something here for the children, for anyone in the community," said Brown.
It's this dad's mission to make sure this summer is a safe one.
The community is holding a number of fundraisers to help the Brown family in Alexis's recovery.
The Wyoming Area Key Club is holding a 'Walk for Alexis Brown' on Sunday, June 9th. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. at the Primary Center on 10th Street. The walk starts at 1 p.m.
The American Grill of Exeter is hosting a giveback night, 'Alexis's Amigos". On June 12th and 13th, just mention Alexis when ordering dine-in or take-out.