NEW PALESTINE — Within minutes of dismissal, students from New Palestine High School begin pouring out the exits. For those who walk or ride a bike to campus, they make their way toward U.S. 52, the busy state highway they must cross to get to and from school each day.
On one recent afternoon, two cars approaching from the east as school let out had to slam on their brakes and come to a complete stop when a group of about 10 students made a dash across the busy road, some 50 yards away from a crosswalk many students refuse to use.
In the summer of 2020, the Indiana Department of Transportation moved the crosswalk — which had been in the middle of a block — farther east to the corner at Depot Street. Flashing lights also were installed. The move came after Kian Heise, who was then a 14-year-old NPHS freshman, was struck by a pickup truck and critically injured while crossing the road on his bike on the way to school in the fall of 2019.
Still, the vast majority of students crossing U.S. 52 don’t use the crosswalk, but instead take their chances crossing the busiest road in town wherever they see an opening.
Kian’s family in the meantime filed a lawsuit against INDOT; the town of New Palestine; Southern Hancock schools; and the driver who hit him.
A report filed last week in Hancock County Circuit Court indicates a partial settlement has been reached in the case.
The safety of the road near the school, however, remains an open question.
Because it’s a state highway, the road is maintained by INDOT. Southern Hancock officials said they’ve done all they can to alleviate traffic congestion on U.S. 52 during school hours to make travel safer for students. That includes imploring staff, students and parents dropping off students to use the Gem Road entrance and building another entrance off Bittner Road to divert as much traffic as possible off the main road.
“We also have some of our transportation staff who will go out there by that main entrance and keep an eye on things when our buses are coming and going,” Anderson said.
Anderson knows some drivers have no idea the road must be crossed by students who live nearby. It also has been difficult to get some in the school community to help.
When the Daily Reporter visited campus last week during dismissal, nearly a dozen cars were observed entering the main entrance off U.S. 52. The drivers parked and waited by the entrance to pick up students where only buses are supposed to enter and exit.
“We’ve got kids walking all over town,” said Jim Robinson, New Palestine town manager. “I really wish school officials would sit down and talk to the kids and make them use the proper safety crossings, because I don’t think you can put the onus on a 14-year-old.”
Bob Ehle, New Palestine chief of police, said that from time to time, his officers and the school’s resource officer will speak with students and ask them to use the crosswalk at Depot Street. There is also a crossing at U.S. 52 and Gem Road — a walkway that has a lighted indicator telling pedestrians when it’s safe to cross. But Ehle said the vast majority of kids don’t use either and there’s nothing law enforcement can do about it.
“Our town does not have any kind of ordinance that requires the students to cross only at the crosswalks,” Ehle said.
Still, if an ordinance were to be created by town officials, one aimed specifically at students entering and leaving the NPHS campus, Ehle noted, when flashing lights are going, until pedestrians are clear to engage into the intersection, the traffic always has the right of way.
“Kids need to understand they can’t just hit the crossing light and walk into the intersection,” Ehle said. “The cars have to have some reasonable time to slowdown and stop.”
While Ehle said the best thing INDOT could do for students, pedestrians and drivers is to create some type of walkover crossing bridge, he knows the chances of state officials doing that are slim to none.
That’s why he and school officials are asking drivers to take it easy coming through town during school hours.
“Ninety percent of the drivers coming through here, come through all the time,” Ehle said. “They need to take some responsibility and slow down and pay attention and be responsible drivers.”
Kian’s grandfather, Kirk Wheeler said his grandson, who is now 16 deserves justice for not being given a safe passage to school and feels state, school and local officials have not done enough to keep other kids safe when crossing the busy road even after his grandson’s accident nearly two years ago.
“Oh, I have plenty to say on this,” Wheeler said. “But, I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize his court case. But, yeah, I’m aware of what they’ve done to improve the crossing for kids, with the walk being moved, but it’s still so dangerous. What they’ve done is minimal.”
