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Fatal hit and run sparks new discussion

Posted at 6:25 AM, Dec 17, 2014
and last updated 2015-12-12 05:30:54-05

Some Wheatfield residents are now asking for safer roads in their community after a deadly hit and run.

Sixteen-year-old Ryan Fischer lost his life in a fatal hit and run on Krueger Road in the Town of Wheatfield less than a month ago. A $6,000 reward, much of which was provided by an anonymous donor who wants closure for this family for Christmas, is now being offered for information about his death.

The road doesn't have many street lights, or a side walk, but that's not uncommon in Wheatfield.

"It's a rural community," Wheatfield Town Supervisor Bob Cliffe said.

"There were two woman at the last meeting who were discussing this issue," Cliffe added. "[They] asked us if there is something we could do, whether it was put more light, put more stop signs, could we put something out there that's going to slow traffic down and maybe make it a little safer."

The proposal was voted down by the Wheatfield Town Board at their last meeting due to the significant increase in tax dollars that the changes would incur.

Supervisor Cliffe still wants to explore the possibility.

"I've asked our highway department, our highway superintendent to try and put some dollars on the cost of widening the roads," Cliffe said. "[It] will give us an apron on the side of the road where people could walk, or ride a bike."

No decision will be made without the approval of the board and community, but Cliffe expects that it is something the town will look at come springtime.