Teen killed on e-scooter near Montreal park honoured, calls for more safety measures

Family and community members gathered in Montreal's Cartierville neighbourhood on Saturday to pay respects to a 14-year-old boy who was killed while riding a scooter in the summer.

Road safety advocates honoured Al Housseini Diacko, who was riding the new e-scooter he got for his birthday when he was hit by a car and died as a result of the injuries on June 24.

Bordeau-Cartierville city councillor Effie Giannou was among those who voiced calls for better traffic measures near Park Mesy.

"That whole street in general, Lachapelle, has a lot of traffic, a lot of cars pass by it and it's next to a park, Parc de Mesy," she said at the time. "So anytime you have a very busy street that's next to a park, you need to add measure to really secure it, control the speed, control the traffic."

On Saturday, a ghost scooter and plaque were installed as a memorial, and a ceremony was held at the site of the accident.

Ghost Bike (Velos Fantomes) spokesperson Severine Le Page says that all speed limits should be reduced around parks.

"I even saw some cars burn the red light, and why drive so fast when there's lives at stake?" she said.

Reducing the speed limit is not enough, according to burough mayor Emilie Thuillier, who says there has to be a price to pay for speeding motorists. She would also like photo radar cameras installed.

"We need to give tickets," she said. "I was here with the police yesterday and they were giving tickets to people who go too fast."

Both say measures must be implemented right away before another unthinkable tragedy happens.

"My thoughts are with the family, for a child who died on the streets for nothing," said Le Page.