Catoosa Mother Calling For Action After Daughter’s Death

By Craig Day, The News On 6

CATOOSA, OK -- A mother's grief is leading her to a call for action.  Leona Harper's daughter was hit by a car and killed while crossing a busy road after school.

Since then, the Catoosa mom has circulated a petition for improved safety along the road where her daughter was killed.

2/12/2010 Related Story: Witness Recalls Accident That Killed Catoosa Girl

The Catoosa City Council took the first step Monday evening in addressing those concerns.

In February, Harper's 12-year-old daughter Kristen was killed while crossing Cherokee street after school. It's a busy road.

"It's not safe," Harper said.

When you lose a child, there are so many things a parent misses.

"Everything," Harper said. "Hearing her brother and her fight. Things often taken for granted, that you'd give anything to hear again. Her singing."

Since her daughters' death, Harper has circulated petitions, calling for improved safety measures along the road near the middle and high schools.

"Simple, simple things," she said.

Things like school zone speed limits, crosswalks and stop lights. That's why she went to the Catoosa city council meeting Monday evening, hoping for good news.

"I don't want nobody else to die the way she did," Harper said.

The city is taking steps to improve safety. Catoosa was awarded a $220,000 federal "safe routes to schools" grant. Most of it will be used for things like sidewalks and signal lights. Twenty-thousand-dollars will go for safety programs for students.

At the meeting, the council approved an agreement for a group to administer the grant. But Harper wants more immediate action.

"Do everything that I asked them to do on that petition; I don't think that I asked too much," she said.

City leaders say with all of the required hurdles attached to federal money, public meetings, competitive bidding, discussions with property owners, the latest development is a good first step in the process.

But for Harper, it's hard to wait any longer.

"I'm going to keep coming right back until they do what they have to do," she said.

The city says with all of the bidding, discussions with property owners, and all of the strings attached to grant money, it just takes time.

The Mayor of Catoosa says if all goes according to plan, safety improvements should be in place by this time next year.