Parents and an Ottawa city councillor are seeking vehicle safety measures off a busy roadway near Knoxdale Public School after a car crashed through its front schoolyard earlier this month. A petition has been signed by over 100 parents asking the school to immediately relocate outdoor play used by young students to the rear field until vehicle-impact bollards can be installed before the first day of school on Sept. 1. “Knoxdale’s youngest and most vulnerable learners (Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2) use this exact front yard bordering a 60 km/h four-lane arterial corridor for multiple daily play periods and extended day programming. Conversely, older students play at the rear of the property, protected by extensive green space,” the petition reads. No children were present and no bystanders were hurt after a car broke through the perimeter fence and into the play area on Aug. 6. According to Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine, the driver lost control of the vehicle after leaving the Shoppers Drug Mart across the street on Greenbank Road. Paramedics say the senior driver experienced a medical emergency behind the wheel prior to the crash. In a post to social media on Sunday, Devine said he had written to the superintendent of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), school administrators, MPP Tyler Watt and the premier to request a meeting with the board and provincial representatives to discuss possible solutions. “Based on what I observed at the scene and conversations with witnesses, I believe this location highlights a legitimate safety concern that deserves attention,” he said. “While I haven’t heard officially from Ottawa Police, this accident may be attributed to the challenging nature of exiting the Shopper’s Drug Mart across the street and trying to cross lanes. It’s a dangerous maneuver.” Devine said he would be looking into whether the city can extend the median on Greenbank Road to prevent lane-crossing traffic. Last year, the province launched the Liam Riazati Memorial Fund that helps fund the installation of concrete barriers near schools and community-based childcare programs. The fund is named after a child who passed away following a motor vehicle collision with a childcare centre in Richmond Hill last September. “I believe there is an opportunity here for a relatively simple, low-cost safety improvement that could provide parents, students, and school staff with greater peace of mind,” Devine said. A spokesperson for the OCDSB previously told CTV News Ottawa that necessary repairs to the schoolyard fence would be completed before the school year starts.
