The mayor of Cheyenne was “heartbroken” to hear the news of a teenage boy who was struck by a vehicle and killed last week, he said in his weekly newsletter.
Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins called the death of Makaili “Mak” Evans last week “one of the darkest” times to have occurred since he was elected.
“We lost 13-year-old Makaili Evans to a tragic accident on his way to McCormick Jr. High School,” Collins wrote in his Mayor’s Minute newsletter on Friday. “Judy and I are heartbroken by the loss, and send our condolences and prayers to the family, McCormick students and staff, and those who knew and loved Makaili.”
The boy died last week after he was hit by a car as he tried to cross the street to get to the junior high school. He was hit by a Ford Escape around 7 a.m. and was pronounced dead after being taken to the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center.
Collins expressed his appreciation for the first responders who tried to save the boy and said this event should remind everyone to cherish and love those around us.
“I have been asked what the city is doing to make sure this does not happen again,” Collins said. “I have met with the school district, police, and city engineer to understand the issues and learn what we can do. I do know we need to drive carefully and without distractions, especially in our school zones.”
A fundraiser launched for the boy’s family this week has raised nearly $30,000.
Laramie County School District No. 1 Superintendent Dr. Margaret Crespo sent a letter to parents on Tuesday to address questions and comments about traffic situations involving Mak and two other students in the last week.
Around 7 a.m. Monday, Cheyenne police officers responded to a report of two teenagers being hit by a car. An investigation revealed the two boys, ages 13 and 15, were attempting to cross the street at a crosswalk near Cheyenne’s East High School.
While crossing, both boys were struck by an GMC Acadia. They both sustained minor injuries and were transported to the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center.
“Although the work is preliminary, we anticipate the Cheyenne Traffic Safety Committee will be conducting a safety audit of our pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle traffic at each of our schools,” Crespo said this week. “As we work through this critical process, we will share updates when they become available.”
The Cheyenne Police Department shared on Monday that 238 traffic incidents have occurred near Cheyenne East High School. Of those incidents, 50 have occurred at the scene of Monday’s accident.
