PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — Amber Weilert’s pain over the loss of her son, Michael, is still fresh on her mind.
This is why she’s made it her mission to make Pacific Avenue safer.
“My son, Michael Weilert, was doing everything he was supposed to do, pushing the button on the crosswalk, on Pacific Avenue,” she said. “And a car had failed to yield and hit and killed my son.”
A motorist hit and killed the 13-year-old on July 19, at the crosswalk near the intersection of 134th Street South and Pacific Avenue.
Investigators from the Washington State Patrol say Michael did everything he was supposed to do.
As news of Michael’s death spread, Weilert’s family and community came out to offer what comfort they could.
Pierce County is now calling on the state to help prevent another parent from feeling Weilert’s pain.
The Pacific Avenue corridor spans Pierce County, stretching from Tacoma to Spanaway. But since Pacific Avenue is technically a state highway, that puts it under the control of the state.
The Pierce County Council sent a letter to the state of Washington calling for WSDOT to conduct a safety analysis of the Pacific Avenue corridor to find ways to make areas of high pedestrian and bicycle use safer.
Pierce County Council Chair Derek Young says that an analysis is needed because plans are underway to improve transportation options.
“We’re about to build our first bus and rapid transit line, and this is going attract a lot more pedestrians and bicyclists and people walking from the entire corridor,” he said.
Young also rides public transit and has witnessed how problematic and dangerous the county’s roadways are for those not in a car.
“You see quickly how different the infrastructure is and how difficult it is for people to navigate,” Young said.
Weilert says she’s heard others in the neighborhood talk about the dangers of crossing Pacific Avenue.
“This community is filled with people with disabilities, seniors, bicyclists, everything,” she said. “Anyone of them could probably tell you a story of something almost happening to them trying to get across Pacific Avenue.”
Now she's working with other public safety advocates to call for safer roads and to put more resources into making crosswalks more visible.
“I almost can’t imagine anything more important,” she said.
Although she’s new to advocacy, Weilert is committed to making Pierce County’s roads safer, as her son would’ve wanted.
“Michael would do everything he could to save the next person. I’m going do the same thing,” she said.
A Ride of Silence will be held in honor of Michael Weilert, and all those who lost their lives to vehicular violence in Pierce County. It’s scheduled to start at 2:30 pm this Sunday at Second Cycle in Tacoma.