NEW PALESTINE — The Indiana Department of Transportation has installed new flashing lights and a crosswalk at the intersection of U.S. 52 and Depot Street, near New Palestine High School, just in time for the start of school Monday, Aug. 3.
The new flashing lights, estimated at a cost of $50,000, where installed Wednesday, July 29, by INDOT workers. The installation completed the relocation of the crosswalk to an area officials say is safer for pedestrians.
Mallory Duncan, an INDOT spokeswoman, noted the agency has been working for several months with town of New Palestine and Southern Hancock schools to come up with a safer crossing. A student at New Palestine High School, Kian Heise, 14, was hit by a pickup truck and critically injured last fall while riding his bike to school. Kian was near the former crosswalk, just west of School Street at the main driveway entrance to the High School on U.S. 52, when he was struck.
Parents argued the crossing was unsafe and that any crosswalk on Main Street should be marked with flashing lights. The former crosswalk was marked with warning signs but no lights.
Jim Robinson, New Palestine town manager, said the town worked closely with INDOT to get the crosswalk moved farther east. The old crosswalk was in the middle of a block; the new one is at a corner. The crosswalk was relocated in May; adding the flashing lights Wednesday was the finishing touch.
“The lights are actually the push lights where the kids can come up and push a button and activate the system and the safety lights will start blinking,” Robinson said. Town workers were set to trim back any trees near the lights to make sure they are visible.
Officials are still waiting for INDOT to remove the old crosswalk markings near the entrance of the high school off of U.S. 52 as they’re afraid some students may get confused and try to use it.
“There is a little bit of confusion there because there are now two crosswalks on U.S. 52 there, so kids are going to have to pay attention and use the one with the flashing lights by Depot Street,” Robinson said.
INDOT paid for the new crosswalk and lights; the town picked up the cost for warning signs, Duncan said.
Southern Hancock officials were thrilled to see the lights going in before school starts. Wes Anderson, community relations director, said moving school traffic farther east away from the main school entrance intersection is part of the district’s master plan, which is associated with the ongoing renovation project at the high school.
“We didn’t know when those flashing lights were coming, but we are certainly glad they are in before the first day of school,” Anderson said. “But that was INDOT’s plan the whole way.”
Kian, who is now 15, suffered a brain injury, multiple fractures and other injuries when he was struck last Nov. 11 on U.S. 52 near the old crosswalk. The boy never will fully recover, family attorney Daniel S. Chamberlain has said.
Kian’s family has filed a lawsuit against INDOT, the school district, the town and the driver who struck Kian.
