Virginia Beach, Va. - Melissa McGinnis says she's seen too many close calls along Holland Road between the Chestnut Oak neighborhood and the Nimo Parkway.
"My son almost got hit getting on the bus one morning because of course drivers not paying attention and the school bus sign was out. They ran it and if my son wouldn't have moved, he would have been hit by that car,” says McGinnis.
Her son was lucky. His friend Jasson Wheeler was not.
Wheeler died last Saturday trying to make it across a stretch of Holland Road where there's no crosswalk.
Her son saw the whole thing happen.
"My son came out the door just as the car hit Jasson, so my son didn't know it was Jasson at first."
McGinnis says Wheeler was like another son to her.
“A good kid, always full of life. He was always smiling, good to be around. I loved Jasson like he was one of my kids."
McGinnis says she probably sees one to two car accidents on that road a month and says now after the death of her son's best friend, it's time the city steps up and lowers the speed limit out there and also put in sidewalks.
"It's been 45 mph since we moved in and I never understood that. Put more police officers on this road. I've welcomed them to sit in my driveway."
The city is planning on widening the road to four lanes and adding sidewalks, but that project is still a couple years away.
McGinnis says that's too long to wait.
"Another kid does not have to die. He was young. That was totally avoidable."
Police are still investigating but say the driver is not facing any charges.
NewsChannel 3 reached out to Wheeler's family, but they said they were not ready to talk yet.
