A Monroe County Sheriff’s van used sparingly for school resource officer cadets will help students at one local school safely get to gym class across U.S. 1 to Founders Park in Islamorada.
On Feb. 14, Sheriff Rick Ramsay and deputies visited Treasure Village Montessori to present principal Kristin Brucia with the paperwork and keys to a vehicle large enough to transport a class of pupils.
“We’re so thankful,” Brucia said as she hopped into the driver’s seat of the clean and lightly-used van.
Between the number of vehicles on the highway, the speeds motorists travel and cases of distracted driving, crossing U.S. 1 in Islamorada can be a daunting task on any given day. With no crosswalks or lights to stop traffic in the vicinity, the school resource officer at Treasure Village Montessori, Chris Kilmurray, would briefly stop U.S. 1 traffic in order to move students safely across to Founders Park.
Kilmurray witnessed instances of motorists failing to pay attention to what was in front of them, whether it be distracted driving or looking at their phones while driving. He ended up going to Brucia and his chain of command at the sheriff’s office to address the safety problem.
The situation was viewed as an accident waiting to happen, and the sheriff’s office’s chain of command agreed.
“It’s a good quality van. The tires are brand new and it starts right up,” Ramsay said.
Brucia said the school purchased two new 14-passenger buses for safe transportation across the park as well as future field trips. Those vehicles likely won’t be delivered until the end of the school year, she said.
In the meantime, Brucia said, the school has a safe way of immediately getting students safely to the park without needing to cross the highway. She credited Kilmurray, Lt. Mike DiGiovanni and Ramsay for coming up with the plan to donate a new, safe mode of transportation for students.
“The support from the sheriff’s office means everything,” Brucia said. “Student safety is paramount.”
Ramsay said the van was one of two used for school resource officer cadets. They aren’t put to use much, which led the sheriff’s office to give away one for an important need.
Ramsay added the van has a hitch so the school can haul kayaks for field trips.
“I think they’re going to have an opportunity to do more than just drive kids across the street,” Ramsay said.
