Community Unites at Ghost Tire Memorial to Demand an End to Traffic Violence
Three Ghost Tires lay resting on a street light post outside of 99 Ranch Market
Some families spent Mother’s Day this year with an empty chair at the table, a silence where there used to be laughter, and a space that no amount of celebration can fill, because they lost a loved one to traffic violence. For mothers who lost children, and for children who lost mothers, the holiday can be especially painful; a day that is meant to honor our first teacher of life instead becomes a cruel reminder of what has been taken away, and what can no longer be shared.
On the day before Mother’s Day, Saturday, May 9th, Streets Are For Everyone and People’s Vision Zero held a Ghost Tire Memorial in Westwood outside the 99 Ranch Market to honor the victims of the mass traffic fatality that claimed three lives earlier this year. In the shadow of the approaching holiday, advocates and grieving families gathered to share their stories and demand immediate changes so that fewer families are forced to mark Mother’s Day in grief instead of celebration.
Family members of Deris Renoj decorating Ghost Tires at the start of the memorial
Family members of victims placing flowers in front of 99 Ranch Market
White-painted ghost tires were decorated by the victims' family members before being placed in front of the market. Heartfelt messages and white flowers surrounded the ghost tires as they were placed. The memorial brought together advocates, survivors, grieving families, and community members to honor the loved ones taken too soon and to share their stories.
Pastor Pat speaking to the media surrounded by community members and advocates
After the Memorial, speakers shared stories about the trauma that traffic violence continues to inflict on communities across Los Angeles. Advocates calling for Los Angeles to declare a state of emergency around traffic violence spoke with urgency. Traffic deaths are not unavoidable accidents; they are preventable tragedies tied to dangerous street design and speeding.
Families spoke about how no one should have to become an activist after losing someone they love just to get basic safety improvements on their street.
Family member of Zih Dao speaking to the media while her son clutches her hand
White flowers placed within the Ghost Tire for Zih Dao
The event generated widespread public attention, resulting in 46 news stories and more than 21 million media impressions focused on the urgent need for safer streets in Los Angeles. Coverage across television, print, and digital media; amplifying the voices of victims’ families and elevating the broader conversation around traffic violence prevention.
One piece that captured the day's emotion and urgency especially well was this segment from CBS Los Angeles.
Looking forward
While no memorial can undo the pain families are carrying, events like this remind us that advocacy matters to our communities. Every protected bike lane, safer intersection, daylighted crosswalk, and traffic-calming project begins with people coming together to demand change.
Underscoring this urgency, another life was lost to traffic violence in Westwood less than 24 hours before the press conference.
A woman in her late 70s was killed in a hit-and-run crash nearby on Wilshire Boulevard and Malcolm Avenue. According to the LAPD, she was struck by a driver who fled the scene, leaving another family and community devastated.
These are not isolated “accidents” happening in our community. They are part of an ongoing public health crisis of traffic violence haunting Los Angeles every single day.
Los Angeles does not have to be this dangerous, and families should not have to convince policymakers that their families deserve to live.
That is why SAFE will be submitting an open letter to the Mayor of Los Angeles and the City Council, demanding that they declare a State of Emergency on traffic violence and immediately allocate resources to begin alleviating this safety crisis. We have provided a roadmap to make this happen and need more support to grow this movement.