OAKLAND (KRON) — KRON4 on Wednesday night has an update to a story we first told you about earlier this month.
You may remember a disturbing video of three people getting run over by a car in Oakland.
A sister, brother, and cousin were all in the crosswalk in the city’s Fruitvale District when a car does not stop and instead slams into them.
Everyone lived, but barely. The youngest victim, a young boy, is now paralyzed.CLICK HERE TO HELP
There was outrage after the accident about how dangerous this intersection is along busy Fruitvale Avenue.
At the hospital, the family is happy improvements are happening on their street. They live just a few blocks away from the accident site.
They always thought it was a dangerous intersection. And they just think it is a shame it took destroying their lives to make changes possible.
In the arms of his mother, 5-year-old Jonathan Calmo is paralyzed from the waist down in a hospital bed.
Now, he can push himself around in a wheelchair, but he might never be able to walk again.
“I told him we will see, and he (said), ‘No, I want to go home. I want to feel my legs, and I want them to wake up,’” sister Wuendy Calmo said.
She remembers vividly getting the call on Jul. 5 that a car ran over her brother, sister, and cousin.
Jonathan was pinned underneath the car. His legs were crushed.
“They are in so much pain, and they tell me, ‘Why did this have to happen to us?” Calmo said.
At busy Fruitvale and Brookdale avenues, where the family’s lives changed forever, construction to repave the road started on Wednesday.
It is just the first step in fixing what council member Noel Gallo calls a dangerous spot in his city.
Accidents happened there well before the Calmo family’s calamity.
“That is the sad thing,” Gallo said. “Sometimes on the streets here in Oakland, it takes a tragedy or an accident for us to take action.”
Next, there will be road repainting, installing a flashing crossing walk, and new speed limit signs.
It all should be done by next week.
“Hopefully, the people will slow down, adhere to the speed limit, because we are out of control,” Gallo said.
As for person behind the wheel, Oakland police say the driver is cooperating with the investigation.
Weundy tells KRON4 officers told her he will only get cited for not having a valid driver’s license.
As Jonathan learns to read in his hospital bed, there is hope something this horrible will not happen here again.
“We are happy that there will be steps to improve the streets, but again, we are just hoping it doesn’t take something like this to really want to change and improve the streets of Oakland.”
As for the other two people in the accident, they are out of the hospital.
But one probably still needs back surgery and the other knee surgery.
The family had to stop working to be in the hospital, and it has really taken a toll on them, not only emotionally, but finically as well.
If you want to help the family, you can do so here: https://www.youcaring.com/jonathanmendozacalmocarlamendozacalmo-883728WHAT OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON:
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