Rollerblade tragedy could happen here

A story about a 13-year-old Sandusky boy who was hit by a car on a Perkins Township road and died stopped a lot of parents in their tracks last week.

The boy was rollerblading on a Monday night on the well-traveled Strub Road.

Children and teens rollerblading and skateboarding on any street - day and night is dangerous.

Clyde City Council had hoped to build a skate park here this year - but the economy just cannot support that project and may not again for years.

What happened in Sandusky is tragic, but locally drivers and council members have expressed fears that we could see a similar tragic accident here.

Youths on rollerblades, skateboards and bicycles have become defiant of motorists on city streets. They block Railroad Street almost daily using a high sidewalk as a ramp. Duane Street had youths rollerblading and skating up and down both lanes day and night. The Gus Wolfe Park area has had similar issues. There have also been reports of property damage as a result of skateboarders as well over the summer.

So far Clyde has been lucky that motorists have been able to stop and that most city streets are well lit at night.

But after the tragedy in Sandusky, local parents of kids who skate on the streets should ask themselves when will their child's luck run out.