On Thursday, September 26, Yuxi Wu was struck and killed by a car at 51st St. and Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. Yuxi Wu, originally from China, was a student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She was in her first semester of studying piano at the conservatory. Her family, the University of Missouri-Kansas City faculty, staff and students and the Kansas City community mourn her loss.
I learned about Yuxi Wu’s death through my daughter, who was three cars behind the accident when it happened. The horror she experienced prompted me to write the following piece:
When I drive to work at D-Hall on 8th Ave., I see:
Students with headphones walking across the street – not paying attention
Students with cell phones walking across the street – not paying attention
Students walking with other students across the street – not paying attention
Students walking by themselves, looking straight ahead – not paying attention
When I drive home at night on 8th Ave., I see:
Students in dark clothing darting across the street
Students in dark clothing on bicycles with no reflective gear, no headlights, no reflectors
When my Kansas City daughter drove to work last week, she saw:
A University of Missouri-Kansas City student killed while riding her scooter across a pedestrian crossing.
I don’t want to see what my daughter saw. Please. Please. Please.
