Copyright Chicago Tribune
Liz Learner, a Manhattan resident, said she did not eat or sleep for days after her son was hit by a semitruck last year and during his recovery. Learner and other village residents are grieving again and considering new safety measures after a 13-year-old boy was fatally hit by a semitruck Monday. Chance Hunnicutt was riding his bike Monday night when he was struck by the truck at State Street and East North, police said. Officers responded to an emergency call at 5:35 p.m. and found the boy unresponsive underneath the semitrailer, according to a village news release. The family arrived shortly after the police and identified Chance. Manhattan police Chief Ryan Gulli said he was familiar to officers and well-known in the community. Gulli said the village is also grieving the death of Danny Bayles, a sixth grader who died Oct. 16 due to unrelated medical reasons. Both boys were students at Manhattan Junior High and their deaths, four days apart, have been a hard hit to the tight-knit community, Trustee Jennifer Bahena said at Tuesday’s Village Board meeting. “We’re always looking out for each other’s kids,” Bahena said. “I mean, I feel like everyone’s kids are my babies, and I take care of them like they’re mine, and it’s just been hard for me as a parent, for my kids, and I can only imagine how it is for the families and our first responders who had to come up and see the accident.” Trustees offered condolences to the families, first responders and residents. A few trustees demanded increased safety measures along Route 52 in response to the collision. Trustees cited multiple other crashes due to several safety issues around Route 52, a sentiment Learner emphasized during the public comment period. Learner said area roads are unsafe due to a combination of changing speed limits, a limited number of sidewalks and the high number of semitrucks. She said when she went to court last year after her son was hit by a truck, she noticed a lot of semitruck drivers in court receiving expensive traffic fines for driving on a stretch of Route 52 where semitrucks over 65 feet are are prevented from driving. If drivers try to avoid that stretch of the road, the highway exit takes these trucks to West Smith Road, where Manhattan Intermediate School and Manhattan Junior High are located. Along these roads, Learner said, the speed limit quickly transitions from 55 mph on the state road, to 45 mph and then to 30 mph within half a mile, and she said she sees cars speeding by her house all the time. Learner also said there are few sidewalks or streetlights in the area. When her son was hit last year, she said dash cam footage showed it was dark along the road with no streetlights, and the truck did not hit its brakes until after the collision. Her son’s helmet saved his life, she said. Learner said she has advocated for more than 10 years for lower speeds on the roads, along with traffic calming measures and signs prohibiting semitrucks. She, along with several trustees, said they reached out to state lawmakers several times. Trustee Bob Dilling, who worked for the state for 33 years, said residents ask him why the village hasn’t found a solution with the state. He said trying to get permission for safety changes from the state has been almost impossible. He said the village will continue passing what safety measures it can. Village officials, according to a public statement Monday, have met with the Illinois Department of Transportation to address concerns, including adding Route 52 as a size restricted truck route and working on a phase one engineering project at Baker Road intersection to slow traffic coming into town. The village has installed more school zone signs near St. Joesph School, hired an engineer to work on plans for crosswalks in the downtown area, commissioned a traffic study to include a truck bypass around downtown, applied for a grant to improve safety on Route 52 and implemented a dedicated truck enforcement program, according to the statement. “Especially after yesterday’s incident … and the incidents that have piled up over the years, we’re going to keep on moving forward and trying to do what we can, what we’re allowed to do to make it better for you,” Dilling said. Trustee Justin Young said officials will keep “pestering” state officials but also encouraged residents to reach out to their state representatives. Rep. Anthony Deluca, a Democrat who represents the area, said Wednesday he is praying for the Manhattan families and friends and wishes them comfort and healing. Deluca said IDOT District 1 agreed to conduct an updated review on the existing conditions and crash history of Route 52 in the Manhattan area. He said he wants to work closely with constituents and local officials in assisting their collaboration with state agencies. The village, school District 114 and the Police Department plan events to honor the children, as well as to provide more mental health services for students, first responders and the community, according to officials. Along with providing counselors at the schools, the school district also canceled all before and after school activities Tuesday, according to its website. Jennifer Bahena, a Manhattan trustee and parent of a fifth grader and eighth grader, said it’s been especially hard for her children and their peers to process the “empty seats in their classroom.” She said her son, Mason Bahena, heard the news during a religious class at St. Joseph Catholic Church Monday night and said he struggled to respond to several students crying. “He’s like, ‘Mom I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to do, like do I hug them? Do I tell them it’s okay?”” Bahena said. On the way to class that night, Bahena said she drove past the accident aftermath, and her son noticed a few of his school peers standing on the sidewalks with their bikes, crying. Her children, along with other district students, honored the two boys by wearing the boys’ favorite colors to school. Students wore red, Danny’s favorite color, to honor him Friday, and this week students started wearing green to honor Hunnicutt, Bahena said. Residents have also hung red and green ribbons around town, she said. The district plans to honor both children in a memorial event at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the MJHS parking lot. The Girl Scouts of Manhattan gathered Wednesday in the MJHS parking lot to draw with chalk in honor of Chance and Danny. The district’s fishing club honored Danny, a member of the club, Saturday during its first event of the year. Village Administrator Jeff Wold also urged residents to reach out to the Police Department or a mental health professional if they struggle to cope with the tragedies. He said the department has a mental health professional on staff who can help. “Don’t suffer alone,” Wold said. “Get some help. It’s important. That’s the message I sent to our police officers.” Gulli said Monday’s accident is an ongoing investigation by the Illinois State Police. Family and friends also established a Go Fund Me page for the family of Chance Hunnicutt. “Chance was full of life, laughter, and love — always by the side of his twin brother, Ryder,” the page stated. “No parent should ever have to endure this kind of loss. As the family faces every parent’s worst nightmare, we’re asking for support to help ease the burden during this unimaginable time.” awright@chicagotribune.com
