PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) \u2014 Neighbors along Port St. Lucie Boulevard say more needs to be done to protect pedestrians as construction continues on the busy road.<\/p>\n
Their concerns come after a 14-year-old Treasure Coast High School student died from injuries he suffered when he was hit by an SUV while walking to school.<\/p>\n
Police say the freshman was walking along the edge of Southwest Port St. Lucie Boulevard near Squirrel Avenue on the morning of Oct. 7 when he was struck<\/a> from behind. He was pronounced clinically deceased two days later.<\/p>\n His family chose to donate his organs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Much of the roadway remains under construction, and there are no sidewalks<\/a> along large sections of the corridor. Recent heavy rain also left portions of the shoulder flooded, further limiting space for pedestrians.<\/p>\n “He was just going to school,” said neighbor Irene Ange. “He was just starting his high school year. He had the right to be safe.”<\/p>\n Irene Ange, who has lived near the boulevard for more than two decades, says students often walk or bike close to traffic, sometimes before sunrise.<\/p>\n \u201cThe stretch of road is dangerous,\u201d Ange said. \u201cIt\u2019s very dark, and drivers are not following the speed limits. They are going fast.\u201d<\/p>\n Ange said she saw first responders rushing to the crash site and was heartbroken for the student and his family.<\/p>\n