Year in Review: Main Street Accidents, Safety Concerns

1. 

Seamus Byrne, an army veteran who received the Purple Heart for his service in Afghanistan, was killed early in the morning on Feb. 27 as he was trying to cross a section of Main Street in Smithtown.

2. 

Melody Burgos, 9, and Mabel Burgos, 13, were hit by an SUV and hospitalized on May 5 crossing Main Street at Lawrence Avenue in Smithtown.

3. 

The February death of 33-year-old Seamus Byrne,, has sparked a renewed interest from the New York State Department of Transportation over pedestrian safety concerns on what has become a deadly stretch of road.

4. 

Lavena Sipes, the mother of , has brought her plea for greater Main Street safety to the Internet by creating a community-oriented group on Facebook aimed at this issue.

5. 

Main Street safety concerns were brought to the attention of the town board, spearheaded by Lavena Sipes, the mother of Courtney Sipes, an 11-year-old girl who lost her life after being hit by a car on the roadway in November 2009.

6. 

Lavena Sipes, the mother of the late Courtney Sipes, and Mark Mancini, owner of Mancini Architecture, took to Main Street to talk comprehensive renovation plans and community involvement to make the roadway safe for pedestrians.

7. 

Locals aren't the only people with Main Street safety concerns – business owners have had it with the dangerous strip of roadway.

8. 

A new voice joined the fight to make Main Street safer as nationally recognized traffic specialist Dan Burden gave a walking tour along the roadway and presented ideas on how to make it safe, pedestrian friendly and more vibrant for business.

9. 

Main Street safety improvements will continue next spring as the state Department of Transportation are set to paint stripes on the road, reducing westbound traffic to one lane, creating a median and turning lane between Elm Avenue and Route 111.