MEDINA, Ohio — A mother and daughter are safe after being hit by a car in Medina Public Square, Medina police said.
The incident took place just before 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, nearly three weeks after a woman was struck and killed by a car in the square.
"Loved to travel, loved her family, loved her family," said John Stilla of Medina County, as he remembered his sister-in-law, 72-year-old Helen Vickory.
"She was an amazing person," Stilla said. "She actually moved to be closer to her sister."
In early August, Vickory was walking in Medina Public Square when she was hit by a Dodge Ram, driven by a 43-year-old man who, according to police records, didn’t see Vickory crossing the street.
"She suffered extensive damage to both sides of her brain and was unconscious at the scene of the accident. She briefly regained consciousness but then lost it again and never recovered. She was eventually taken off life support and passed away," Stilla explained.
Now, nearly three weeks after Vickory’s accident, another traffic incident has occurred near the square, this time involving a mother and daughter.
"My immediate reaction was surprise. To find out someone got hit by a car in the same intersection within the span of a month is astonishing to me," said Dan Hover of Milwaukee.
On Thursday, Medina Police told 3News that just before 8:30 a.m., a car driving near West Washington Street and North Court Street failed to stop when making a left turn. The driver, a 77-year-old woman, hit two people.
Police said there were no injuries reported.
"A lot of things happen at the square, and the last thing we want to think about is the danger of just walking our kids across the street. It’s terrifying," said Jamie Spann, a mother of three who lives in Medina County.
The city of Medina has implemented traffic-calming measures over the years to protect pedestrians in the square.
"We put flashing lights at each of the mid-crosswalks so when somebody hits the button, the lights flash, alerting drivers that someone might be entering the crosswalk. It’s another step we took as a city to protect our residents because our square is very important," said John M. Coyne III, President of Medina City Council.
However, for some, like Vickory, those protections weren’t enough.
"Losing her the way that we lost her — I pray to God this doesn’t happen to anyone else," Stilla said.
The Medina Police Department said the woman who hit the mother and daughter was issued a minor misdemeanor traffic ticket for failing to yield.