PA Baytown Family, whose four-year old was hit and killed, wants more done to increase safety on their residential street.nbsp;nbsp;/P
PNathan Elorza was killed last Sunday on Schilling between North Main and Garth, a street the family says is notorious for speeders.BRBRI turned around and i saw him take my little brother and he still didn’t stop, says 15 -year old Juana Elorza.nbsp; /P
PShe says he was dragged several feet down Schilling after he was hit./P
PShe says they were playing at the church across the street around 6 Sunday when her mother walked to the edge of her truck, which was parked across the street on the side of the road, to tell her it was time to go home. /P
PIn a split second, she says, Nathan was hit by 19 -year old Danon Pondernbsp; He didn’t want to still stop even thoughnbsp;I was telling him to stop, says ElorzaBRBRElorza’s uncle, Herman Manzanares says for years they’ve complained about drivers speeding along Schilling to get to Garth.nbsp; A request for speed bumps was denied.nbsp; According to records from the Department of Public Works, speed bumps were suspended indefinitely in 1997.nbsp; The family is now petitioning the city; collecting more than a hundred names so far, in hopes of protecting all the children who play in the area. /P
PWe urge the city officials, do speed enforcement, radar, signs, speed bumps anything that will prevent anyone from traveling more than 30 mph in a residential kid zone area, said Manzanares.BRBRBaytown Police Lieutenant Eric Freed says at this point they don’t know if speed was a factor.nbsp; He says the investigation is still on-going. However, the department’s account of what happened is much different than the family’s.nbsp; Freed says the child was crossing the street when he was hit and that the driver did stop after realizing what he did.nbsp; they say he has been cooperating even giving a blood sample to see if alcohol or drugs was involved. nbsp;BREither way, the tragedy remains;nbsp; a child lost his life and speed, according this family, is still a problem.BRBRAt this point, the driver,nbsp; Danon Ponder, has not been charged./P
PThe family will hold a vigil tomorrow night for 4 -year old Nathan at the St Paul’s Lutheran Church tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. BR/P
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