Oakland installs speed bumps in neighborhood where man was killed by speeding driver
Roughly a month and a half after an Oakland teacher was killed by a speeding driver trying to flee police, Oakland took steps to slow down drivers.
On Wednesday, the city installed speed bumps along a stretch of East 21st Street.
It's a welcome road closure in the Clinton neighborhood of Oakland, as crews laid the groundwork for speed bumps on East 21st Street. One of the two speed bumps is just feet away from where Oakland teacher, Dr. Marvin Boomer, lost his life.
"We heard this screech crash," said resident Thea Ruoho. "It was bigger than most of the crashes you hear around here."
Thea Ruoho remembers the day like it was yesterday.
"The lady was over there holding the guy's hand," Ruoho said. "She was yelling, 'Help me.'"
Ruoho said she is pretty sure that if these speed bumps had been in place weeks ago, Dr. Boomer may still be alive. She's already seeing drivers slowing down on this road.
"They're great," she said. "We should have them all over the place. These people are driving like absolute maniacs."
Some neighbors gathered for a bittersweet celebration, rejoicing in watching drivers hit the brakes.
"We've wanted this for a long time," said resident Richard Haliburton. "We're happy. We're doing some kind of coming out and celebrating and watching the cars brake as they go over the speed bump. Some of them bump a little bit, and we're like, this is not a through street."
Haliburton said a neighborhood petition has been in the works for years to try to get these speed bumps on this street. He said the city only took action after Dr. Boomer was killed by a speeding driver.
"It's also a reminder that we got these faster because of a tragedy, and it shouldn't take a tragedy," he said.
The city, though, sent a statement saying this was a rapid response to the tragic death of Dr. Boomer, only after it received a petition from residents two weeks after the crash.
Residents said there are many other neighborhoods still waiting for their speed bumps so they feel safe when they walk out the door.
"You should be able to walk out of your house and walk in your neighborhood without worrying that somebody is going to hit you," said Ruoho. "Every time I want to cross the road, I am scared to death."
