Parents of Mountain View teen hit, killed while biking to school share heartbreaking plea for change
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (KGO) -- On Thursday evening, parents of the Mountain View teen who was hit and killed while riding his bicycle to school delivered a heartbreaking plea to the city.
The investigation into what happened on the morning of March 17 is still on-going. However, the boy's parents spoke directly to city officials, as they discussed strategies for eliminating traffic fatalities by 2030.
"If we can stop another family from feeling what we're feeling right now, just please- just put up a sign. Something," Lisa Retana said.
The agonizing push for action came from the mother of Andre Retana. Last Thursday, the teen died after a collision with a travel truck at El Camino Real and Grant Road.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Mountain View teen killed in collision with truck while riding bike to school
One week later, his parents spoke to city officials over Zoom during a community discussion on Mountain View's Vision Zero Action Plan. The city addressed road safety and traffic fatalities.
The Vision Zero Action Plan and Local Road Safety Plan Community meeting was scheduled before Andre's death.
"My son is Andre Retana Oseida. Me and his mother- he should still be here with us," Ryno Lara said over Zoom. "And we just want something done quicker than 2030."
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Mountain View PD is still investigating what led to the fatal collision, but have described the driver of the travel truck as "very cooperative."
Still, the teen's parents are pleading for more signage at the intersection and are calling for the city to implement a "no turn on red."
Mountain View's Public Works Director Dawn Cameron responded immediately after hearing from Retana and Lara, with the promise that improvements will not take until 2030.
"We are taking a look at everything we can do," Cameron said. "And we're working closely with Caltrans to see not only what we were already putting and planning to do for bicycle and pedestrians along El Camino, but continuing to look at El Camino and Grant intersection to learn what the possibilities are, and we will."
The intersection is the site of a growing memorial for Andre.
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The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office confirmed the teen victim's name is George Andre Oseida. However, at the memorial, the boy's maternal grandfather addressed any name confusion. He explained that anyone who knows his grandson, knows him as "Andre Retana."
Friends, family and community members have left messages, flowers and more. Their moments of grief have also been met with the sound of busy traffic.
"Even just being at Andre's memorial, just seeing like, it's dangerous," Lisa Retana shared. "And people need to slow down. Seriously, a sign, no turn on red."
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It's also where ABC7 News met Andre's grandfather with his eyes glued to the memorial.
He didn't want to speak on-camera, but said the support shown proves Andre was special to many people. The outpouring of support was also apparent online, as more than 1,300 have already contributed to a GoFundMe campaign, raising well over the $30,000 goal.
"I'm heartbroken. I don't even know how I'm going to live," Andre's mother told city officials. "We don't know how we're going to live. Like, I need the City of Mountain View to do something because this is- I'm sorry- but this is B.S."
Cameron with the city's Public Works Department explained that last September, city council approved entering into an agreement with Caltrans to include pedestrian and bicycle improvements into the agency's project to repave El Camino Real.
She also detailed the city adopted a resolution to remove on-street parking on specific stretches of El Camino Real, to make space available for bicycle facilities. The idea would be to include protected bikeways, green painted bike lanes, curb ramp upgrades, high visibility crosswalks and more.
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Cameron said Caltrans has nearly completed design plans. If approved in September, she said the timeline would allow construction to begin by spring 2023.
For more details on the project, click here.
At the start of Thursday's meeting, Cameron led a moment of silence for Andre.
"As I know many of you are aware, last Thursday, 13-year-old Andre Oseida was tragically killed in a traffic collision with a truck on El Camino Real while riding his bike to Graham Middle School," she said. "We at the city join the community in grieving the loss of this young life. We send our condolences and prayers to Andre's family, friends and everyone else who knew him. We will now take a moment of silence to remember Andre."
Beyond the push for signage and the request to implement a "no turn on red," Andre's parents pleaded for a crossing guard, and any changes the city could make happen immediately.
"Andre deserves this," Andre's dad Lara said. "Thank you."
