Vigil in Fort Greene for Lucian Merryweather Tonight

There will be a vigil tonight for Lucian Merryweather, the child who died last weekend when a motorist drove onto a sidewalk in Fort Greene.

Lucian was 9 years old. He was at least the tenth child age 13 and under to be killed by a New York City motorist in 2013, according to data compiled by Streetsblog.

Anthony Byrd was charged with assault and homicide after the crash, which occurred in the 88th Precinct. As of September, the precinct had issued 53 speeding tickets this year, and three tickets for failing to yield to a pedestrian.

Tonight’s event is organized by Tish James’s office. “My heart goes out to the victims and loved ones affected by the tragic vehicular incident that took place in Fort Greene today,” James said, via a press release posted by Brooklyn Spoke. “I will be working with the Department of Transportation to review the details of the incident, and specifically determine what measures can be taken to increase driver and pedestrian safety along De Kalb Avenue.”

The vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the corner of Clermont and DeKalb. “We invite local faith leaders, safe-street advocates, and community members to join us,” the press release said.

Precinct community council meetings are an excellent opportunity for members of the public to speak directly to officers who are responsible for keeping local streets safe. The commanding officer of the 88th Precinct is Deputy Inspector Scott M. Henderson. According to the precinct, the next community council meeting will be held on November 19 at 7 p.m. at the French Speaking Baptist Church at 209 Clermont Avenue, a block from the site of this crash. Call 718-636-6526 for more information.

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