Concern grows as woman is hit by dirt-biker popping a wheelie on Southwest Blvd
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – More safety concerns are coming from Kansas City's West Side today, May 8.
Video from a surveillance camera shows a pedestrian being hit by the driver of a dirt bike. The video comes from a weekend Cinco De Mayo celebration in the busy restaurant district along Southwest Boulevard. The biker appears to be popping a wheelie and speeding when he hit the walker, who was trying to cross the street.
The owner of the video clip, who asked to remain anonymous, said they believe the biker stopped for a moment and then drove off. The victim was taken to a hospital with cuts to her head on Friday, May 2.
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Burnout marks on the pavement along Southwest Boulevard tell some of the story. Merchants who operate restaurants along this busy street on Kansas City's West Side aren't surprised by the video shared on Thursday.
Teresa Grado, who operates a nearby business, said Friday night was a chaotic scene with hundreds of people visiting Southwest Boulevard to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and dirt bikes and ATVs were there, too. Grado believes the police are doing the best they can to help. She and other merchants don't want the dirt bikes troubling customers.
'As a mother, they made my stomach cringe,' Grado said.
'This is so sad. It's disgusting. It's beyond disrespectful. I don't know who raised these kids, but that's insane.'
A Kansas City Police spokesperson said there's no police report from this incident, but patrol officers are focusing on entertainment districts like this one. Managers at LaFonda, one of the boulevard's beloved Mexican restaurants, said one of their windows was shot out last year when ATV and dirt bike riders gathered in the street.
On Tuesday, FOX4 News spoke with managers at Manny's Restaurant, which is also in the Crossroads District. Owners at Manny's complained they fear going out of business unless safety concerns are addressed effectively.
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Crispin Rea, Fourth District Kansas City Councilmember, hadn't seen video of the dirt bike incident before FOX4 News shared it with him on Thursday. Councilmember Rea said he knows businesses are counting on city leaders to keep the streets safe for customers.
'I have spoken to (KCPD Chief Stacey) Graves, and I know there will be an increased police presence again. We're going to keep putting the resources where it needs to go until we can put an end to this,' Councilmember Rea said.Councilmember Rea plans a meeting with many of these business operators next week, in hopes of helping them organize and take precautions before another violent incident takes place.
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