KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One Kansas City, Missouri, nonprofit hopes to make the public more aware of traffic violence and the lives lost or harmed because of it.
On Thursday, BikeWalkKC will host an online conversation with Amy Cohen, who lost her son to a crash. The event is part of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims,which takes place on Sunday.
“We’re hoping to obviously bring attention to the myriad lives lost and forever impacted by this epidemic of traffic violence," Michael Kelley, of BikeWalkKC, said. "But we also want people to realize that it doesn’t have to be this way."
Two bicyclists and 15 pedestrians have died so far in 2020, according to Kansas City, Missouri police. The year prior, 10 pedestrians and one bicyclist were killed during the same period.
"There’s no reason that we can’t take the steps we need to take to make our streets safer not just here in Kansas City, but throughout the metro," Kelley said.
Nora Anzawi and a friend were injured in a traffic crash while crossing 74th Terrace and Wornall Road in June 2019.
“We thought the coast was clear and went ahead across the crosswalk," Anzawi said. "And I’ll say about halfway through, the last memory I have is looking at Evan, talking to him and then everything going black."
When Anzawi woke up, she was in the back of an ambulance and suffered a broken right leg and was bleeding from the head. More than one year later, she said she continues to deal with the effects of a concussion.
While BikeWalkKC brings awareness to the issue of traffic crashes, Anzawi is urging people to be vigilant.
“Anyone that steps outside their house and walks, it could be them,” Anzawi said.
BikeWalkKC's Thursday event will begin at noon. It's free to attend, but registration is required.
