It has been more than a month since my father, Xuande Guo, passed away on October 10 after being struck by a car on the night before. My family and especially my mom are still in the deepest sadness.
My parents immigrated to the U.S. seven years ago and planned to spend their retirement lives with their only child, me, my wife, Eva, and their three grandchildren. They moved from our house to the Gables, the senior apartment, in the summer of 2013. Every day, when weather permitted, my father would walk from their apartment to our house. This was his way of exercise, and more importantly, he wanted to see his grandchildren whenever possible. On October 9, on his way to bring dinner to his grandchildren, he was hit by a car at the intersection of Clarksville Road and Hawk Drive.
We have lived in West Windsor for more than 10 years. We love the town, the people, and the schools. After my father’s incident, we have received much support from our neighbors, friends, and the community. Unfortunately, we also have learned that in the past several years, there have been quite a few accidents involving cars and pedestrians. We believe it is time for the township to take action to enhance the traffic rules and the protection of pedestrians.
For example, the intersection of Clarksville and Hawk Drive is a very busy area. There is no crosswalk for pedestrians, nor a speed bump. The road in front of Maurice Hawk school is very wide. The road is wide enough for four-lane traffic. Cars speed through this school section and residential neighborhood even during school dismissal time.
Each day commuters from our neighborhood walk across Clarksville to the train station; parents cross through the street to send their children to Maurice Hawk School or to use the playground. The library, Senior Center, Post Office, and Arts Center are all popular destinations for pedestrians from our neighborhood. We strongly suggest the township add a crosswalk and speed bumps at this intersection. We also suggest the township examine other areas to make appropriate improvements.
My family has lost a devoted husband, a caring father, and a loving grandpa. We hope such tragedy will never happen again in our town.
Thank you for your consideration.
The family of Xuande Guo
Wife, Lihui Liu; son, Tao Guo; daughter-in-law, Eva Yang; and grandchildren, Annie, Angelo, and Katherine
