Victims of road traffic crashes, their loved ones and community advocates gathered Sunday outside The George Washington University Hospital ahead of a walk to the Lincoln Memorial.
The gathering, organized by D.C.’s Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and D.C. Families For Safe Streets, was in honor of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
Organizer Jessica Hart lost her five-year-old daughter Allie in 2021 when she was struck and killed by the driver of a passenger transport van. Hart read the names and stories of other local traffic crash victims through a megaphone as organizers handed out yellow carnations for event goers to carry on their walk.
“I helped organize the event trying to bring people together, build the community, and show that there are a lot of us who really care about safe streets,” Hart said. “I think it’s really important that people know that you’re not alone in this.”
Crash survivor Julie Henning said Sunday’s event hit her heart immensely. She recalled the day in 2020 that her life changed forever.
“I got up on a Saturday morning, went for a bicycle ride when there wasn’t a lot of traffic. Was in a bike lane, was wearing a helmet, thankfully, and I was hit by the garbage truck. I spent over a month in the hospital. Still to this day, have severe injuries — physically, mentally and emotionally,” Henning said.
Like Hart, Henning said she wants others to know they’re not alone.
“It’s not just the individual. It’s the families, it’s the friends, it’s the network of that individual (that are impacted),” Henning said.
Jonathan Ward attended Sunday’s walk in honor of his sister, who was killed in a traffic accident in 1996, and for his friend Sarah Debbink Langenkamp, who was killed in 2022 while riding her bike on River Road in Bethesda.
In response to Langenkamp’s death, officials are widening bike lanes on the road where she died.
Ward said he didn’t know anyone in attendance at the event before Sunday.
“But I’m talking to people. It’s a really friendly group. So I’m meeting like-minded individuals. You know, that’s going to make my efforts much easier when I’m working with people that are already working on the issues here in the area,” Ward said.
Some of those issues include the passing of a bill that would increase car insurance minimums in the District to help crash victims afford medical care.
“If you’re injured in D.C., you get pennies, and it doesn’t really make a dent in your medical bills,” Hart said, “And if someone is killed, then … it’s a drop in the bucket for any family who’s lost somebody.”
Organizers praised legislation like the Strengthening Traffic Enforcement, Education and Responsibility Amendment Act of 2023, which has already resulted in lawsuits against multiple individuals who racked up tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid traffic tickets over the course of more than a decade.
“From my experience, it’s really about awareness and getting people to take a step back and think, get off their phone, and realize that one small little mistake that they make can have a huge impact on others,” Henning said.
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