Pedestrian safety concerns over an east Tulsa intersection

A 12 year old boy was hit by a car at an east Tulsa intersection recently, an intersection even firefighters say is dangerous. <br/><br/>The little boy didn't regain consciousness for 11 days and

Monday, December 13th 2004, 11:59 am

By: News On 6

A 12 year old boy was hit by a car at an east Tulsa intersection recently, an intersection even firefighters say is dangerous.

The little boy didn't regain consciousness for 11 days and now his father and firefighters want to warn others.

News on 6 anchor Lori Fullbright says Chris Carlock is one tough kid. It took him 11 days to wake up after being hit by a car near his apartment and he'll require weeks more of physical therapy, but he's doing much better than many people thought he would. Chrisâ€™ father Michael Carlock: "He was broke up, right leg broken at the femur, left leg below the knew at the tibia, his diaphragm was ruptured which caused internal injuries, he just regained consciousness four days ago and he's still a little fuzzy, but, he's doing much better, doing really well."

Chris' dad had never met the firefighters who helped save his son until we brought them together. They say the intersection at 41st Street and 129th East Avenue sees more than its share of trouble. Tulsa Fire Captain Michael Baker: "I knew as soon as we left the station, I knew if it was the real deal, it was not going to be good."

They say lots of things create a dangerous situation. First, lots of children live in the four apartment complexes near the intersection and not everyone crosses in the crosswalk. They say the hilly terrain makes it hard for drivers to see and the road quickly goes from two lanes to four and back to two again.

Plus, Chris' dad says with only one street light, it gets pretty dark at night. "It's way too dark for an intersection is as busy as this one is."

Plus, a school may soon be built nearby, so firefighters urge drivers to use extra caution at this intersection because they don't want to work another young boy, lying in the street, fighting for life after being hit by a car.

The crosswalks are well lit, which makes it important that people use them and not cross where it's darker. Firefighters say children should only cross the street with an adult and looking both ways is still the safest way.