After Tragic Crosswalk Accident, Petition Calls for Changes at Grand & Rehberg

Ever since 13-year-old Chase Lantz was hit while walking to school on the morning of Thursday, September 24, 2026, I keep coming back to the same thought: a child should be able to walk or bike to school and come home safely.  It sounds so simple.

As a mom, I think about all the times we tell our kids to be careful. Look both ways. Use the crosswalk. Wait for the light. Pay attention.

Every school day, students walking and biking to and from Will James Middle School are directed to cross at the traffic light at Grand Avenue and Rehberg Lane, then into the residential neighborhood. It's the route they're told to take, and they take it at street level, directly in front of moving traffic.

A light only protects a child when every driver obeys it. Kids crossing at Grand and Rehberg are counting on every car to stop on red, every turning driver to see them, and nobody to slip up or run the light. But when something goes wrong at an intersection like this, the consequences are devastating for everyone involved.

That's why the focus must be on making the environment itself safer, so that a split-second mistake by anyone doesn't cost a young life. Now, a new petition is calling for structural safety changes at Grand Avenue and Rehberg Lane, the Billings intersection where Chase was struck.

Pedestrian Bridge Proposed at Grand Ave & Rehberg Lane in Billings

The petition on Change.org is asking the Billings City Council, Billings Public Schools, and the Montana Department of Transportation to consider building a pedestrian bridge at Grand Avenue and Rehberg Lane.

A pedestrian bridge at this crosswalk would eliminate the chance of conflict. Students could cross above the traffic instead of through it. Because so many kids bike to school, the proposal calls for a bridge wide enough for students to walk their bicycles across, with the clear rule that bikes should be walked across, not ridden.

READ MORE: Billings Asked to Wear Red on Monday for 13-Year-Old Chase Lantz

The petition also proposes painting the bridge red in recognition of Chase, whose favorite color is red, so every student who crosses it remembers why it was built.

Something permanent that protects children while also reminding us why it was built would carry enormous meaning.

Immediate Safety Requests: Crossing Guards and Right-Turn Restrictions

A pedestrian bridge obviously can't appear overnight. That's why the petition also asks for temporary safety measures starting right now.

Those immediate requests include banning right turns on red at the intersection, both turning off Rehberg Lane and turning onto Rehberg Lane, so vehicles aren't turning into the crosswalk while students are in it. It also asks for a crossing guard or traffic officer to be stationed at the crosswalk for a few hours each morning and afternoon during student travel times.

Whether a bridge ultimately proves to be the best solution is something traffic engineers and local officials would need to determine. But asking how infrastructure can protect our youth feels incredibly important right now.

Will James Middle School Safety Concerns Dating Back to 2023

What really stopped me when I started looking deeper into this was learning that concerns about students walking and biking around Will James Middle School existed before Chase was hit.

In the City of Billings Safe Routes to School plan, observations made around Will James in 2023 noted fast-moving vehicles making unpredictable turns near Grand Avenue and drivers failing to yield to pedestrians at some nearby crosswalks.

The plan also noted that no adult crossing guards were observed during the Will James arrival study.

Billings has been working on broader school pedestrian safety improvements. The city received a $3.6 million federal grant for 19 Safe Routes to School projects, with construction expected to begin in 2027.

Those efforts matter. But after what happened Thursday morning, families are understandably looking closely at what can be done at this particular intersection and what can be done now.

Chase Lantz Update: Crosswalk Accident Details at Grand & Rehberg

Chase was walking to Will James Middle School on the morning of Thursday, September 24, 2026, when police say he was struck by an eastbound vehicle while in the crosswalk at Grand Avenue and Rehberg Lane.

The 13-year-old suffered catastrophic injuries and was flown to Denver for treatment. His family later shared that he was not expected to survive and made the incredibly difficult decision to donate his organs.

Chase dreamed of becoming a New York City police officer someday because he wanted to save lives.

Now his story is prompting people in Billings to ask how we design our streets to protect all our youth who make that walk to school tomorrow, next week, and years from now.

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How to Support the Billings Pedestrian Safety Petition

The petition for changes at Grand Avenue and Rehberg Lane is collecting signatures online, and community members are encouraged to sign and share so every child gets to school and home safely.

I don't pretend to know whether engineers will ultimately determine that a pedestrian bridge should be built there. Maybe it will be. Maybe other structural changes could make an even bigger difference.

But I do know this: parents shouldn't have to wonder whether their child will make it safely across the street on the way to school.

And we shouldn't wait for another tragic accident before we take serious steps to fix an unsafe intersection.