The boy was perhaps 8 years old.

Phil Waterford saw him last week as he was arriving to work at Manteca Ford.

The kid was standing at the corner of North Main Street and Edison Street trying to cross the busy four-lane road.

Every time the boy started to take a tepid step off the curb it seemed another car came barreling down Main Street pushing or exceeding the speed limit.  Waterford couldn’t believe what he was seeing. No one was slowing down and stopping.

“You would think after what just happened that people would drive differently,” Waterford said in reference to the death of Shasta School first grader Jordan Morrison a few weeks back.

Waterford, instead of going into the dealership, walked over and talked with the boy. As he did, he sized up the situation. Waterford is well over 6 feet and is more versed in judging speeds. The young boy was barely four feet. Waterford then helped the boy cross.

A week prior Michele Edwards made an impassioned plea to the Manteca City Council to try and do something about speeding on Lathrop Road.

A close friend died when a car he was in was T-boned at the Cottage and Lathrop intersection outside the city limits. But she knew of other accidents — some involving alcohol — as well as many near misses on Lathrop Road that is being prepped as a future major four-lane connector between Highway 99 and Interstate 5.

She told the council that everyone had it wrong about crime and public safety.



Chances much high of

dying in traffic accident

than from gun violence

“Your chances are much higher dying (in Manteca) from a traffic accident (than gang violence),” Edwards said.

Yet the carnage continues with the latest traffic death being a motorcyclist.

The streets of Manteca are mean — as are the nearby roads. And we are all making them that way.

We rubberneck at accidents. We whip out cell phones to snap photos of the carnage.

Yet we forget the people maimed and killed are sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers, mother, loved ones, and friends — unless, of course, we personally know the victims.

Jordan Morrison was a Shasta School first grader. Darshan Singh was a devoted 69-year-old grandfather. Zach Gomez was a fun loving 14-year-old Manteca High freshman.

Seven have breathed their last on Manteca streets during the last 33 months. A dozen more have died on nearby rural roads. That body count doesn’t even include the 120 Bypass that is in the running for the most dangerous stretch of pavement in the Northern San Joaquin Valley when it comes to collisions, deaths, and injuries.

You would think that there would be a huge community outcry and a push to change people’s driving habits.

The blame doesn’t lie always with the driver. Pedestrians have been known to dart out in front of vehicles long after the motorist has “legal” possession of an intersection. Too often we make snap judgments assuming the driver is at fault.

The truth is we all could act like driving, walking or bicycling isn’t a dangerous thing.

Cut pedestrians some slack.

And pedestrians can pay attention to things other than their smartphones or iPods.

Police Chief Nick Obligacion tells of a near miss recently he had coming into work. A student on their way to Manteca High stepped off the curb and walks right into traffic without looking while listening intently to tunes from her smartphone.

“If I hadn’t been looking I never would have seen her,” the chief said.

And that is the answer. Devoting your undivided attention to driving, bicycling or walking.

Anyone who drives Center Street before the first bell rings or the last bell at Manteca High knows of the “zombies” that cross the street.

People that pass that way on a regular basis look them. One of these days a zombie’s luck will run out. It may not be fatal but walking in front of 3,000 to 4,000 pound vehicles is a losing proposition. Just ask the relatives of the 70-year-old man killed crossing Center Street two years ago.

The truth is every day there are countless near misses on Manteca’s streets as there are in practically every community in this country.

But there is still death and mayhem. Lots of death and mayhem. In 2013, the National Safety Council noted 32,719 people died in the United States in traffic accidents. That’s just under the combined population of Ripon and Lathrop.  As for traffic accident injuries, try 3.8 million people. That’s the combined population of San Jose, Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, Fresno, Modesto, Stockton, and then some

Of course, we’re not the ones going too fast for conditions. We’re not the ones not paying attention. We’re not the ones running red lights. We’re not the ones following too close. We’re not the ones that are impatient. We’re not the ones that roll through stop signs.

If you believe that, go talk to a traffic officer. See how many people that complain about speeding “in their neighborhood” end up getting caught by radar doing the speeding themselves. Or better yet, ask about people who do slowdown in their neighborhood but speed elsewhere.

The police can’t save us on this one.

It is why we have to be the ones to step up.

Waterford is doing that in a small way. Following the lead of Bennie and Mary Suggs that organized parent volunteers to help watch over kids crossing the busier streets going  to and from Shasta School, Manteca Ford is making neon safety vests and stop signs available free for pickup at the 555 MN. Main St. dealership for parents and other volunteers that want to keep kids safe. Bennie Suggs can be contacted at 639.9434 for additional information,

“Ensuring that children walking to school, getting dropped off in the lot, or exiting the bus reach the building safely is simple, yet paramount,” Waterford noted. “Those shouldered with the responsibility of making this process happen can make a positive difference especially in areas in which children are crossing with little or no supervision.  

“When we see these neon vests in our community, people helping people, it will give parents a greater sense of security for our children. I have had an opportunity to speak with many of the perspective volunteers, who are retired. They are honored to provide their services, as they have stated the duties instill a sense of purpose as well as a tremendous amount of pride in keeping our kids safe.”

As for those that can’t volunteer, let’s do our part. Slow down, Pay attention. Drive, bicycle and walk defensively. Let’s make sure that the other Darshan Singhs out their can see their grandsons grow up to become young men. Let’s make sure the other Jordans out there will grow up to fill the world with laughter. Let’s make sure others like Zach will live a long life.

We don’t need any more traffic laws to improve safety. We all simply need to follow them.