The young boy hit by a ute near the Harris Farm Markets in Manly last week remains in a critical condition.
A petition regarding that stretch of road has been launched and the Mayor has called for a safety audit.
The accident on Friday on Pittwater Road saw a young boy, reported by police to be 13 years old, hit by a ute and airlifted to Sydney Children’s Hospital in a critical condition and an induced coma.
We have seen reported elsewhere that the boy was in a stable condition but in our follow up inquiries we were informed he is in fact still in a critical condition.
The driver of the ute has not been charged with any offences and police continue to call for witnesses to help inform the metropolitan crash investigation unit’s inquiries.
Anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage of the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Meanwhile, the incident has spurred discussion across local social media groups about the dangers with that particular section of road, near a childcare centre (Little Lane), Harris Farm Markets, a high school, and a round about in Manly.
The petition, by resident Dimas Perez, who we understand witnessed the incident aftermath, is to Northern Beaches Council and states:
“Create a safe way to cross Pittwater Rd between Harris Farm and Little lane Child Care” with the following accompanying image at the scene of the accident. It also includes the video (posted below) of the section of road where people are frequently crossing in near misses.
You can read details of the petition yourself, here.
“I was saddened to hear of the accident. My thoughts go out to the boy and his family for a speedy recovery. And let’s not forget about the driver. How is that person?
“Let’s be very clear in that every single one of us has a role to play in making our roads safe,” the Mayor said.
“Council invests huge amounts in making our local roads safe and devotes a lot of energy in listening to residents where improvements to our road system can be made. Every decision made and action taken is determined by the RMS and their criteria and how it applies to each road and individual situation.
“And when it comes to major state roads, such as Pittwater Road where the unfortunate accident occurred, Council is excluded from the process and it becomes the sole responsibility of RMS who has its own system where users and residents can feedback issues regarding major roads. We will be raising this incident with them and following up what actions will be taken.
“Further, I have requested both a report of the accident so that we know all the facts, and a safety audit to be done there. I will keep you informed of updates.”