Michael Needham
Michael Needham
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Age: 10
Location:
Barnes Avenue
Allerton Area,
Bronx
United States
Michael Needham Jr. was riding his bike with friends outside the Allerton Library after school on June 5th, when a speeding car struck him. After 19 days in a coma, he died on June 23rd, 2008.
Michael was just about to graduate from the 5th grade from nearby P.S. 76, The Bennington School.
His friends, many of which witnessed the crash, placed signs in front of the library in support of their friend.
Since that time, Michael's parents and community members have petitioned and rallied for a speed bump to be placed in front of the library.
from an article in the Bronx Times
“The fact is, I lost a son because we didn’t have a speed hump there and I don’t want any other family to go through this,” Michael’s father Michael Needham, Sr. said. “I don’t want this for my worst enemy.”
“I miss my boy. I miss him real hard, and I won’t get over this until the day I die,” he said. “The only thing we can use to slow the motorists down is that speed hump. When the hump is installed, life will be spared.”
When we installed his ghost bike, many of Michael's friends were playing in front of the library; they helped us decorate the bike with flowers.
In October, 2008 Bike New York held a bike rodeo at Michael's school, which was the culmination of an educational effort to teach the students about bike safety.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Age: 10
Location:
Barnes Avenue
Allerton Area,
Bronx
United States
Michael Needham Jr. was riding his bike with friends outside the Allerton Library after school on June 5th, when a speeding car struck him. After 19 days in a coma, he died on June 23rd, 2008.
Michael was just about to graduate from the 5th grade from nearby P.S. 76, The Bennington School.
His friends, many of which witnessed the crash, placed signs in front of the library in support of their friend.
Since that time, Michael's parents and community members have petitioned and rallied for a speed bump to be placed in front of the library.
from an article in the Bronx Times
“The fact is, I lost a son because we didn’t have a speed hump there and I don’t want any other family to go through this,” Michael’s father Michael Needham, Sr. said. “I don’t want this for my worst enemy.”
“I miss my boy. I miss him real hard, and I won’t get over this until the day I die,” he said. “The only thing we can use to slow the motorists down is that speed hump. When the hump is installed, life will be spared.”
When we installed his ghost bike, many of Michael's friends were playing in front of the library; they helped us decorate the bike with flowers.
In October, 2008 Bike New York held a bike rodeo at Michael's school, which was the culmination of an educational effort to teach the students about bike safety.