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Neighbor wants drivers to slow down after crash sends boy to hospital

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — People living in one Indianapolis neighborhood said they are fed up with drivers speeding down their road after a crash involving two cars and a day care bus.

The crash happened last week and sent a 14-year-old boy to the hospital for a concussion.

The boy’s family, which believes another driver ran a stop sign causing the chain reaction crash, has a message for that driver who failed to stop: Slow down.

Every day, hundreds of people drive through the intersection at Acton and McGregor roads on the south side of Indianapolis.

“It’s a very dangerous intersection. There’s been at least one major crash a year since I’ve lived here,” said Renee Heldman, who lives at the corner of the intersection.

Heldman moved into the neighborhood four years ago and shared with 24-Hour News 8 a picture of the crash involving her mom’s car and the day care bus.

“We’re not quite sure who would just keep going after seeing that crash, or at least hearing that crash, and just not want to check to make sure that everything is okay,” she said.

The day care bus had five kids on board and was heading to an elementary school. The driver told police she was heading south on Acton Road when a driver in a white or silver SUV heading eastbound on McGregor Road ran a stop sign.

“I don’t know why the car came through the intersection — if it was traveling too fast because it was an icy road, or somebody that was not paying attention,” said Cathy Burton, who drove the day care bus.

Burton said she swerved and slid into oncoming traffic to avoid the SUV. She ended up hitting another SUV head-on. Inside that SUV were Heldman’s mother and brother.

“I knew we were going to hit something; the first thought that goes through your mind is the kids. Are the kids going to be okay,” said Burton.

Burton, like Heldman, wants the person who ran the stop sign to be held accountable.

“There is a police report about it, but from what I heard so far from other people, there might not be charges able to be pressed unless witnesses come forward or we can have some type of surveillance footage of what occured,” said Heldman.

But Heldman says she knows it’s out of their hands for now.

“Just to slow down, stop at all stop signs because you never know what could happen. Even if it’s icy out, slow down and just be aware, be conscious,” said Heldman. “If you didn’t think you might have caused it, at least stop to be able to make sure that everyone was OK.”

The 14-year-old boy has been released from the hospital, and no one else was seriously injured.