Movement launched to make Alhambra intersection safer after girl killed in accident
By: Emma A. Birur
A movement has started to improve safety at the intersection where 17-year-old Bo Feng was killed in a fatal accident earlier this month. Feng, who was a 2011 graduate of Gabrielino high school, was hit at the intersection of New Avenue and Shorb Street.
Just over a week later, Kimiko Nishitsuji created a petition to install a LED pedestrian crossing sign at the intersection. "It shouldn't take a tragedy like the death of Bo Feng for the city to make a change and unfortunately she isn't the first" the petition website states.
A 73-year-old driver hit Feng on July 15, police report. She died the next morning from multiple traumatic injuries, according to the Los Angeles Corner's Office. The driver is cooperating with the police and the investigation is currently ongoing. "Our traffic section is working this investigation full-time," Sergeant Brandon Black of the Alhambra Police Department said. "It's obviously a very tragic incident. Whenever someone gets hit by a car it's tragic, but when they're so young and full of potential it's devastating to everyone."
Since the accident, people have left flowers, boba drinks, candles, stuffed animals and dolls at the intersection where she was killed. Her friends and many people who never met her are leaving comments on a Facebook page, composed of over 2,700 people. Those who said they knew her describe Bo as an intelligent, driven and a good-hearted person. The Facebook posts share memories and stories from times people spent with her in class to bonding over boba. Jonathan Singleton, a friend of Feng's from Speech class at Gabrielino wrote to the Source, "I think she is one of the nicest girls you can ever hope to meet."
Joanna Vargas taught Feng ballet. "She was a quiet student and was always so nice and polite to me," Vargas wrote in an e-mail. "She always said hello to me and greeted me in the hallways of the studio."
Bo was an active member in a sisterhood called Tomodachi ("Friends" in Japanese), according to Andy Yu. He was assigned to be Feng's "Little brother" and recalled a time when they were stranded at the beach because there were not enough seats for all of members to get home at once. "…Sitting at "That Spot" at the beach just talking, at night, in the cold, waiting for our rides to make another round trip had turned out to be more amusing than we all thought it would be." Muteki wrote, "Every MUTEKI member loved her very much as a sister AND as a close friend."
Outside of the petition, others have also advocated for improved pedestrian safety in Alhambra, in particular at that corner. "I can attest that as a resident here for much of my childhood and early adult life, I have had a few close calls when crossing and when I'm driving," Tony Truong, a resident near where the accident took place posted on the Alhambra Source Facebook page. He wrote that he is trying to find a way to get the attention of Alhambra City Council or CalTrans about installing button-activated flashing pedestrian lights on Shorb and New Avenue. "For me personally," he wrote, "it can be hard to see people beginning to cross because they are blocked by the isle that divides New Avenue."
27 thoughts on "Movement launched to make Alhambra intersection safer after girl killed in accident"
There are a lot of issues and it isn't nessarily a race thing. I see too many people with unsafe driving habits. Cellphone on hand talking while driving. People wear caps or hats covering their entire face. Driving instructors taking their students to practice the same test route and become capable of passing the test but not true driving skill. And….age.. very sensitive issue but discrimination complaints will come if mentioned. Perhaps have them detested after a certain age? There's more, but trying not to step on too many toes right now.
Simple Sense
Ignoring the 600-lb. gorilla in the room does not take away the fact that immigrants do indeed comprise the majority of bad drivers. It's not just Asians either — anyone who has ever driven through Glendale knows that the Armenian population are notorious for not necessarily being bad drivers — but simply reckless.
The plain truth is that there is an inherent inability in may — not all — to either read or interpret signals correctly. In many cases of blatant recklessness, it's been a matter of simple [lack of] common sense.
Call me what you want…a racist, whatever. But many of my friends (who are children of immigrants themselves), clearly admit it.
And for the record, I'm not "white."
"in many — not all — to either misread or misinterpret signals."
I can believe I see people blaming immigrants for the problem This incident had nothing to do with immigrants. What needs to be changed is the street arrangements. Not blaming a certain group of people. That's racist, that's intolerant, and it's just plain unethical.
Shewhomustnotbenamed
what we need isn't a light, or a stopsign or another sign saying pedestrians cross here. Accidents happen at this crosswalk almost all the time. As someone who lives in this area, that I can verify. The best way to solve this problem is to remove the crosswalk altogehter…afterall there is a traffic light about a one to two minute walk down the street. How about playing it safe, and keeping your life.
This intersection is notoriously unsafe and have experienced may best-hits traversing it. If the city(ies) don't collude in installing traffic lights WITH illuminated pedestrian crossway, then that would be complete bollocks. Another fatality will be inevitable. Also, that hedge on New Ave. needs to be trimmed WAY back since oncoming cars can't be seen by those turning from Shorb onto New…not early enough, anyway.
offcenter
This is NOT just this intersection… this whole area have some of the worse drivers in the country… just read the crime report… Alhambra last week had 25 trafic accedents and 11 hit and runs… that's a REALLY high number for a city of this size… there needs to be more enforcement of trafic laws, I see it daily… I personally have close calls DAILY!! Untill this is addressed, no change in crosswalks will matter… it's a really bad problem in this area and it has gotten worse, not better. I live on Front St. between 6th and Atlantic and can sit on my porch and watch drivers act like idiots all the time… they just don't look or pay attention at all… that is what needs to change FIRST. There was a report last year naming Alhambra being the City where it is the MOST DANGEROUS for padestrians in LA County… we need to take their DL's away when they drive this way… then and only then will it be safe to cross the street!!
Tommy Wilson-O'Brien
ps: I'm 63 with a perfact driving record and have never had an accident in almost 45 years of driving… and I drove cab in New York when I was younger… so it can be done!!
Tommy, I see it daily also, first hand I know most of the elderly Asian men and women are terrible drivers, OK I said it. I think the problem is, they just don't know where they are going until they get there. What I mean is last second turns without looking, many stop and hold up traffic to change lanes. Bad drivers really need to be ticketed on a daily basis until they can't get insurance or have their license revoked…
danalynnla
Tommy – you are right about taking licenses and insurance away! That would make them take notice!
Guillermo – you are brave to mention a nationality!
The younger generation (i.e., 2nd and 3rd generation Asian Americans in Alhambra) are excellent drivers (except for TEXTING while driving which crosses ALL ethnicities).
I think it's the RECENT IMMIGRANT status let's them think it's still OK to CHEAT and take shortcuts like they did wherever they came from.
GOOD CITIZENS are welcome – no matter where you're from. LAZY citizens, please stay home and study your Driver's manual.
Nice… beware, they will aim for you 🙂
I agree, however, there should be more done than an intersection with lights. A couple months ago, an Arcadia High student was hit and killed. Even though that section has blinking lights for pedestrians, it is still extremely dangerous, and overlooked by drivers. I believe installing a light would be helpful in preventing more accidents than now, but overall more should be done.
yes, something can be done. lets have cars levitate so we can walk under.. Comon, that's the best you really can do. Without major changes, nothing is ever gonna be done.
Allen Jang
A couple of years ago, I was parked next to the crosswalk on the other side of the street where Bo (a former student of mine) was struck and killed by a car. As I got out of my car to join my family for lunch at the corner restaurant, a guy talking on a cell-phone drove dangerously close to hitting me. His rear-view mirror whooshed pass my jacket which flew open! That was the closest near-miss I ever had to being struck. People do need to drive more slower and carefully not only on that street, but in general. The city, whether Alhambra or San Gabriel, do need to put a Stop sign there. Bo was a sweet, precious teenager who had much to give and all who knew her will miss her.
And you wonder why the Alhambra City Council decided to cancel elections last year….
The South End
Sixth Street from Glendon Way to Hellman Avenue (on the other side of the 10 freeway) is a drag strip at any given time despite our pleading with City officials to do something about it. Not only do these maniac drivers do 70+ going south, but the vehicles coming north run the Stop sign just as you come up from the underpass. We've had several fatalities through the years and I'm sure it's just a matter of "when" that a child will be killed or else some horrific accident will occur.
Maybe if the residents here take up a collection and give it to our district councilperson as a bribe will we then see any change. It seems to be the only way to get things done around here.
Jenny Diep
I've lived here with my mom and uncle for the past 8 years. My house is right across the back parking lot of CVS. My mom saw the accident. Everyday I come home my mom tells me… "xxx amount of people almost got hit today." This hasn't started because of what happened to Bo, she's been telling me this for so many years. I really do hope that the city of Alhambra and San Gabriel do put in the reflector lights for pedestrians… Bo's death could've been prevented. Resident's here ALL can observe that people have almost gotten hit here EVERYDAY. This isn't something that happens on a rare occasion… people having close calls happens "EVERYDAY" and SEVERAL times a day. >_<
good luck at getting ANY stop sign or crosswalk in alhambra, have tried to get one on larch and palm for years, all the kids use it to cross to school and to use the park and the pool, but alhambra will NOT slow down those cars that use Palm as an alternate route to Fremont, South Pas installed stop signs to control the traffic, but alhambra hates pedestrians, several near misses on meridian and main street, the traffic is insane and uncontrolled, public works is in denial about the need to control the monster that this section of main street has become, ever eat at genovese' and watch the constant stream of racing cars go by, not letting pedestrians cross. public works says this is a police matter because the cars are 'moving'. can't get any stop sign on hampden terrace, again an alternate route around huntington drive, and i pointed out it is not only the residents of hampden but the garages of part of westmont and popular also exit/open onto hampden terrace, and the drivers up the palatine swoop down through here. public works just snarls and will study it, waiting for more pedestrian hits i would guess, not a thinking out of the box department or a pro active department, if the signs were good enough 20 years ago they are good enough now, they will re asphalt and repaint the lines, but it the same old, same old—not a thinking about how alhambra has changed and the need to adjust that thinking cap.
I agree that Alhambra will do nothing about controlling traffic. I asked numerous times over the past years to have speed bumps installed on our street, which is one of the streets that drivers use to avoid the traffic tie ups at Valley and Garfield. The city decided the speed bumps were not necessary, I was not surprised. Now the automobiles continue to speed up the streets that bypass the intersection at Vally and Garfield during rush hours.
Andrew K
Kimiko Nishitsuji, thank you for the starting the petition.
I can only hope that our voice be heard and that the City Councils of both Alhambra and San Gabriel will take action on this concern.
I should have added that these pedestrian stop light only operate and turn red when someone wants to cross the intersection. If no pedestrians want to cross the the street, the light stays green for traffic.
When will the city finally install a pedestrian stop light at the intersection of Shorb and New Ave., similar to the pedestrian stop lights on Lake Ave in Pasadena between California Ave and Del Mar Ave. San Gabriel also uses pedestrian stop lights on Walnut Grove, just north of Rush Ave at the So.Cal.Edison offices. THIS WAS A PREVENTABLE DEATH. Approximately 5 years ago the Alhambra Police dept. ran a sting operation at the same intersection the young girl died at, if memory serves me well I believe there were at least 50 citations issued for people not stopping for pedestrians walking from the 168 Market or CVS drug store to their homes on the east side of New Ave.
Recently, within the past year there was another sting operation set up at Valley Blvd and Monterey Ave. This time I believe at least 75 tickets were issued. Maybe at these busy intersections the city planers should start installing pedestrian stop lights, I believe these lights would prevent these deaths. What a shame…
One year ago I asked the city to put a 4 way stop sign at the intersection of Stoneman and Shorb, currently there is only a 2 way sign. Several months later I was told the city planners decided it was not necessary. Turned out they were wrong, 1 week after being told it was not necessary, there was an accident at the intersection. Luckily there were no deaths in the accident. Wake up Alhambra.
Jennifer Lynn
The drivers in Alhambra/San Gabriel area are the worst I've EVER seen. I work here, and it's like taking your life in your hands driving thru this city. Most of the people that live here are Chinese immigrants. The city needs to SERIOUSLY find out who is licensing these people to drive. I was at the grocery store the other day and a woman, who said she'd been in an accident the previous day, asked me why she couldnt make a left turn from the right lane. REALLY?????
What is going on over at the DMV? I've heard rumors that there are people paid to take the DMV written and driving tests for others. Based on the driving skills I've seen in the area, I believe it. It's actually suprising more people aren't killed on a daily basis. Sad ending for this little girl. My condolences to her friends and family.
I totally agree!!!
Dana Quigley
"there are people paid to take the DMV written and driving tests for others" explains everything, and it's so UN-AMERICAN. The immigrants TAKING ADVANTAGE of our system, are seeing their own children/grandchildren killed. To the IMMIGRANTS who take advantage: you are wasting all your money on gymnastics and music lessons for your kids, they are just going to be run down by people who paid others to take their test for them.
And the people at the DMV who assisted their same-culture friends (knowing they were cheating) are just as GUILTY of murder.
Immigrants?? Immigrants?! How can you even say that? That's intolerant, that's racist. It's sad because you people don't even know the ethnicity of who hit Bo. And you're blaming the bad driving on Chinese immigrants? Drunk drivers kill people, street racers kill people with their cars. You cannot just throw this on Chinese immigrants. What's UN-American is blaming a general group of people.
Henry… news flash… that's not racist, that's stating a fact!! It's the truth and I would LOVE to see more enforcement… did you see last week's crime report?? 31 traffic accidents… 31!!! That's the highest % in the county… and you yell racist!! Get a grip on reality… drivers SUCK in Alhambra!!
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