‘Justice for McKenzie’: Parents, students lead rally where Las Vegas teen was killed

Ashley Brewer jogged into a northwest valley crosswalk, shielding students as they walked toward Arbor View High School on Wednesday morning.

Brewer, wearing a neon safety vest loaned to her moments prior, shouted at impatient drivers who refused to stop.

Days earlier, a drunken driver struck and killed 18-year-old McKenzie Scott in the same crosswalk, authorities said.

Brewer, whose son, a 9th grader at Arbor View, was still recovering from injuries he suffered as a cyclist in a crash at the North Buffalo Drive crosswalk almost a month ago, said the design of the now-faded painted walkway — and the attitude of the drivers who encountered it — had become unacceptable.

“I would rather be here, being the one to get hurt, than have one of these kids get hit,” Brewer said before waving down a driver to her left who moved toward her despite her efforts to walk across and meet children on the other side of the road.

Brewer was one of more than 30 people who gathered Wednesday morning for the “Justice for McKenzie” march. Co-organized by another Arbor View parent, Krista Holloway, the walk started near the corner of North Buffalo and Grand West Teton Drive. As parents and students neared the spot where Scott was hit, they said they were not surprised that dangerous driving still plagued the area.

Cars ‘inch at’ students

Just after 11 a.m. Friday, Scott, 18, was crossing Buffalo inside the marked crosswalk when she was struck by a car driven by 37-year-old Keenan Jackson, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

Afterward, Jackson struggled to stand upright during questioning, according to his arrest report, which noted that he was speeding and his blood alcohol level was nearly four times the legal limit. Officers said in the report that Jackson had bloodshot eyes, a blank stare and slurred speech. He was arrested and booked on one count of DUI resulting in death, reckless driving, and driving without a valid license.

On Wednesday, demonstrators carried signs that read “pay attention” and “slow down 4 kids.”

While they stood near Scott’s memorial, sharing memories of her with reporters, multiple drivers used their phones while entering the crosswalk. Some in the left turn lane rushed their maneuvers, interrupting students who had already reached the halfway point of the path.

Steps away, a Metro officer on a motorcycle watched the crosswalk. Students have noticed an increased police presence on campus this week, though Brewer wondered if police were only there “for show.”

“Shame on that officer,” Brewer said, shaking her head. She screamed into the road, trying to get the officer to intervene in the reckless behavior at the crosswalk.

“We are just adding opportunities for someone to be run over,” Brewer said, advocating for a traffic light system near the walkway. In the meantime, she said, she would feel more comfortable sending her son to school if a crossing guard were hired.

Another mom, Bethany Limov, agreed, adding that the unmanned and unprotected nature of the crosswalk has allowed cars to “inch at” student pedestrians.

Limov carried a bright green sign that read: “Your lack of time management does not give you the right to put children’s lives in danger.”

Several students also attended the peaceful protest. Sophomore Caden Sano, 16, told reporters that he would hand deliver a 20-page document outlining the public’s requests for improvements to high-traffic areas around the school to the principal, Duane Bickmore.

Bickmore could not immediately be reached for comment regarding the demonstration, but in an email to the Arbor View community last week, he reminded drivers to “use extreme caution when driving near schools and areas where students travel to and from school.”

In a separate email on Wednesday, Bickmore also wrote of support for the teen’s family.

“In addition to honoring McKenzie and her family, it is also incredibly important to do all we can to put safety nets in place to prevent these things from happening,” he wrote in part. “Earlier this year, we worked with the city to add safety medians to Whispering Sands (Drive) to increase student safety. We continue to work with the city to add safety features to Buffalo and they have been very receptive and are working to keep our kids safe. Some of you have already come up with great ideas that we have shared and we greatly appreciate the community advocating for student safety.”

Contact Akiya Dillon at [email protected].