Following the death of a 14-year-old girl who was hit and killed by a dump truck in Burnaby, British Columbia, security measures were put in place at the scene to prevent future deaths.
Muska Behzad was returning home from a community school in Bern Creek when she was hit by a driver pulling a trailer to a dump on 11th Avenue near 16th Street on Thursday, May 5th. A week later, real estate developer Ledingham McAllister issued a statement saying he had installed sidewalks and diverted trucks in the area where Behzad died.
The company is building 60 acres of mixed residential and commercial construction in the area, and the dump truck driver was working on the project. It says an asphalt pavement with barriers has already been installed on the south side of 11th Avenue from 17th Street to 18th Street.
“We took this responsibility from the city of Burnaby because our contractors were already in place and would get the job done quickly,” the company said in a statement.
The sidewalk was closed on May 6, 2022 in the area where a 14-year-old girl was hit and killed by a dump truck in Burnaby, British Columbia, the day before. A sidewalk with a barrier has now been built. (Ben Nelms / CBC)
Ledingham McAllister says trucks will also be diverted west on 11th Avenue instead of east. Going west, they will pass from 11th Avenue to 18th Street, then from 18th Street to 10th Avenue.
The company also stopped all dump truck operations, saying it would resume when the city of Burnaby installed signs prohibiting parking on the south side of 11th Avenue.
10 complaints in 12 months
Mounties says it has received about 10 complaints in the last 12 months about traffic near 11th Avenue and 16th Street.
An 18-year-old girl told police she was spotted by the mirror of a truck or minivan while walking around noon on November 15. She was not seriously injured, but neighbors say they have complained to the city, police and WorkSafeBC about trucks in the area for months.
The section of road on 11th Avenue has single-family homes on one side of the street and an industrial complex on the other.
Lutfula Behzad holds a photo of her daughter at her home in Burnaby, British Columbia, on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, just days after she died. (Ben Nelms / CBC)
On May 12, the Burnaby RCMP held a public meeting for people living and working in the Edmonds community center. Police and civilian personnel, including the Burnaby RCMP Victim Services Department, came to discuss community concerns and provide information and resources to those affected by Behzad’s death.
Ledingham McAllister says there are also representatives at the meeting.
District resident Stacey Wallwork, who told CBC she complained to the city, RCMP and WorkSafeBC about the traffic problem, attended the event and was not impressed.
Wallwork was critical of the authorities, who she said knew about the problem and had not acted before.
“I think we’re just really reactionary to something that could have been prevented and reported well,” she said.
Many thanks to everyone who joined us last night for our Burnaby RCMP Incident Response Program (BNIRP) in response to last week’s tragic clash. A list of support resources can be found here: pic.twitter.com/26Yi9kvZHG
– @ BurnabyRCMP
“I can feel their pain”
Hundreds of people honored Behzad at her funeral on Monday. She immigrated from Afghanistan to British Columbia with her mother and siblings in 2020 to be with her father.
The family is shaken by the loss of a beloved daughter and sister who dreamed of becoming a doctor, in part so that he could earn a good living and support his family.
Burnaby resident Mahmoud Anwari also immigrated from Afghanistan and said he attended a public police event to show his support for the Behzad family.
He said the RCMP had given him useful information on who to contact on road safety issues in the area because he had been worried for several months and did not know who to talk to about it.
Anwari also expressed his condolences to Behzad, saying how horrible it is to come from a dangerous country to one you consider safer and then experience such trauma.
“I can feel their pain.”
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