March 15th, 2007
Reading Eagle Newspaper, Berks County, Pennsylvania
A 12-year-old Exeter Township boy was injured when he was struck by a car Wednesday afternoon in the township, police said. Police did not release the name of the boy, who was taken to Reading Hospital, officials said. Information on his condition was not available. According to police:
The boy was walking with two other unidentified boys about 3:30 p.m. in the 300 block of Lincoln Road when he tried to cross the street. He was struck by a southbound car driven by Santa T. Ocasio, also of Exeter. Witnesses told police Ocasio did not have time to stop before hitting the boy. Fire police briefly closed the section of Lincoln Road around the accident scene. An investigation is continuing.

Channel 69, Berks Edition, Pennsylvania
Tragedy in Exeter Township. An accident has taken the life of a 12-year-old boy. Grief counselors were on hand Thursday as Reiffton Elementary School mourned the death of sixth- grader Ryan Ford. His classmates made banners and posters for the 12-year-old. Ford was hit here in the 300 block of Lincoln Road yesterday afternoon. He was pronounced dead around 8:00 last night in Children's Hospital in Philadelphia. Exeter police are still investigating the accident.

I am frustrated that this happened, two months after Exeter Township received a grant from Pennsylvania to implement "Keep Kids Alive", two years after I presented the program to the Exeter Supervisors. When I met the founder of "Keep Kids Alive", Tom Everson, at the presentation given to Exeter residents. I told Tom, my fear was that there would be a child representing Exeter Schools on his slide presentation. My fear was realized on March 14th, 2007.

Drivers on Lincoln Road are notorious for speeding. I have observed with speeding drivers on my own street, that they assume that anything that runs in front of them is not going to stop or back track. Driver sometimes accelerate and swerve around the intruding object. Unfortunately, if the object is a child, if he or she stops or back tracks, he or she is killed. Drivers are too much in a hurry or aloft to anticipate that a child will stop or back track. So many lives would be saved, if we all would simply slow down, when we see anything cross our paths on the road. Most importantly, drivers obey the speed limit.

I regret not following up with Exeter to move faster in their efforts to implementing the "Keep Kids Alive".

Kelly Brown Brehm
Teddybears.com