A first-grader at Prickly Pear Elementary School in East Helena was hit by a vehicle while biking home from school last week, drawing renewed attention to crosswalk and traffic safety concerns near the school.
McKoy Beaty, a first-grader, was biking home last Thursday when a vehicle leaving the school parking lot hit him. His mother, Silver Beaty, described the moment she learned what happened.
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"Panic. When the door knocks, and you look at the ring camera and it's a sheriff's deputy, there's immediate panic and heart drop when your kids aren't home yet and it's time for them to be home," Beaty said.
McKoy was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. He was taken to the hospital, treated for minor injuries, and has since returned to the classroom. The community also gifted him a new bike.
The incident has reignited long-standing concerns about traffic on Valley Drive and Montana Avenue. Four of the five East Helena schools are either on or within a few blocks of the two roads, serving between 1,500 and 1,800 students and their families.
Beaty said the safety issues at the crosswalks are not new.
"I've voiced concerns about the crosswalks in the past. I've seen plenty of near misses myself," Beaty said.
East Helena Superintendent Dan Rispens acknowledged the congestion the school corridor creates.
"It's a real struggle for our drivers to get up and down Valley Drive right now with things set up the way they are. So you just mix all that traffic together and it's super confusing and congested and calls for a heightened sense of awareness and care," Rispens said.
East Helena Police patrol the area during morning and afternoon drop-off and pick-up windows, and traffic stops and citations are common along the stretch of road. East Helena Police Chief Ed Royce said officers do what they can with available resources.
"There's always driving infractions it seems like, we do a lot of traffic in East Helena, we just can't be everywhere all the time, so we do our best with what we have," Royce said.
Before the accident, the city had already ordered 2 new speed signs for the area. The school district is also reviewing options to further improve safety, including adding a crossing guard during peak traffic windows, with the goal of implementing changes by next fall.
Prickly Pear principal Brandon Crusat went out the day after the accident to personally act as a crossing guard and plans to continue doing so through the end of the school year.
Law enforcement and school officials are urging the East Helena community to remain vigilant in school zones.
The Beaty family expressed gratitude to the East Helena community, school district, and law enforcement for their support during McKoy's recovery. Silver Beaty said the family plans to show their son that life goes on.
"We're gonna walk home today and just kind of prove to them more than anything that it's OK, that it's still safe, and that this isn't gonna stop them from living their daily lives," Beaty said.
