By TATYANA TURNER

Parents are outraged over a crash involving a school crossing guard that could have been prevented. The incident has caught the attention of a local city councilman, who’s demanding some traffic calming measures.

Elementary school crossing guard Jenny Arias was struck by a car on May 15 while on the job at the intersection of 188th Street and Bathgate Avenue in Belmont. It’s home to three nearby schools–Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, MS 254, and the Belmont Prep High School, with dozens of students walking to their schools daily.

The Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School community has been frustrated over the lack of road signals for the busy street. Residents have complained for years to the city Department of Transportation but have yet to hear a response. Traffic measures are in place, such as a 15-mile-hour sign indicating the neighborhood is a school zone, but parents said the signs are often ignored.

“Makes me nervous, this is a school zone. I will never let my children go to school by themselves,” said parent Christian Tagole, whose children go to the school.

The school crossing guard serves as one of the few secure safety measures for the neighborhood. Parents think it’s not enough.

“I have trust in the school safety guard, but there needs to be a traffic light or a speed bump sign,” said Gloria Santa, whose son attends Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.

Parents have found an ally in Councilman Ritchie Torres, whose 15th Council District overlaps with the neighborhood. Torres empathized with residents, and vowed to “take action.”

“I share the frustrations of the Mt. Carmel school community in advocating for preventive traffic measures,” said Torres in a statement. “For the past four years Mt. Carmel has reached out to the city’s Department of Transportation to get traffic measures implemented at that dangerous intersection.”

For over a year, DOT has put their focus on reducing traffic-related fatalities through Vision Zero, a plan that’s high on the agenda of the de Blasio Administration.

Arias’ injuries comes amid City Council members Brad Lander and Vanessa L. Gibson calling on Mayor de Blasio to better represent school crossing guards. Council members and city officials  acknowledge the risk that school crossing guards take to protect school children around New York City and plan to have better support for the crossing guards so that they can perform their tasks in a safe and efficient manner.