Parents demonstrate near fatal Jerusalem accident site

On October 6, a six-year-old boy was killed in a three-car collision; four others were wounded, including his sister, age five.

By MELANIE LIDMAN
More than 150 parents from the Lycee Francais de Jerusalem and neighboring schools gathered on Nevi’im Road near Jerusalem’s downtown area at the site of last week’s deadly accident to protest the municipality’s “negligence” in protecting their children from the increasingly busy road.
Nevi’im Road handles much of the traffic diverted from Jaffa Road because of the light rail construction. On October 6, a six-year-old boy was killed in a three-car collision. Four others were wounded, including his sister, age five, who remains in intensive care and will need an artificial hip, and his father, who will be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
“Mayor Barkat turned this precious piece of Jerusalem’s heritage – home to five schools, a hospital and thousands of residents – into the city’s most dangerous road,” the parents said in a statement.
“Each morning, Mr. Barkat forced us to play Russian roulette with our children.”
Parents requested that the municipality institute traffic calming measures to deal with the increase in vehicles. The municipality expressed regret over the accident, but said that any changes to the street would be difficult because of the layout.
“Nevi’im Road is an old and historic street, with built-up areas on both sides for its entire length,” a spokeswoman told The Jerusalem Post last week.