Just two days before New Year’s 2018, a pedestrian was struck as he crossed Franklin Avenue in the heart of a business district in Belleville and subsequently died of his injuries. It was the same location where a similar accident previously took the life of another individual, according to township officials.
Now, through the intervention of Mayor Michael Melham and the governing body, the township is hoping to prevent any future tragedies with the installation of a potential deterrent – a crosswalk and flashing signal light activated by pedestrians.
The twin signals placed in the 300 block of Franklin Avenue – one on the east side of the street in front of The Chandelier catering hall and the other to the west near the driveway of the Wendy’s eatery – were activated Jan. 23.
“Today I am not going to focus on why this wasn’t done in the past or how long it took,” Melham said. “Rather, today, we are going to celebrate action – action that happens when government sees and listens. This has been a known problem area for years – so much that two individuals lost their lives here.”
Melham said the township earmarked $22,000 from its 2018 road program to finance the project. He said the County of Essex – which has jurisdiction over Franklin Avenue – “accepted a hold-harmless agreement” which enabled Belleville to proceed with the road safety undertaking.
“We hope and pray this small gesture this protects our residents and those visiting our great township and saves another family from tragic loss and sorrow,” he said.
Family and friends of the most recent victim, Joseph D’Amico, including his brother Ray, along with relatives Cheryl Kasye, Michele Sacchiero, Gerald D’Amico, Valerie Simberg and Michael Simberg, attended a brief ceremony at the new signal location last Wednesday.
Ray D’Amico, a sergeant with the Bayonne Police Department, told reporters his brother – a Bayonne High School alum who was a volunteer chef for Vincent United Methodist Church in Nutley – had been crossing Franklin to retrieve his cell phone from his parked car when he was struck by a vehicle exiting the fast food driveway on Dec. 30, 2017.
After receiving treatment at several hospitals, on March 21, 2018, Joseph D’Amico, 44, a lifelong resident of Belleville, succumbed to his injuries.
“My brother was a free spirit,” Ray D’Amico said. “He went out like a trouper.”
Family friend Michele Sacchiero brought the incident to the attention of Melham during his 2018 mayoral campaign and encouraged the new mayor to do something to strengthen safety measures along Franklin Avenue.
“It took the mayor just six months to do something that should’ve been done a long time ago,” Sacchiero said. “Two fatalities are two too many.”
