I am sure most of you know about the tragedy that occurred earlier this year.

At the beginning of the semester, a scholar visiting from China was struck and killed by a car in Columbia. This is one of three car accidents that occurred on the same day.

This fatal accident cost the life of Kui Zou, a young, intelligent woman hailing from China. Zou came to MU to pursue her one-year research program with a scholarship; however, she will not have the chance to continue with her study.

This is truly a tragedy for this young woman, who traveled 8,000 miles from home to pursue a better education opportunity. It must have been devastating news for her family. There is a Chinese saying that says there is nothing worse for a parent than a daughter or son “dying in a strange, foreign land.”

The one-child policy in China tends to emphasize a child as extremely precious and meant to be pampered under the care of the parents. Losing a child is any parent’s worst nightmare, and this fear is embodied in another Chinese saying, “grey head people deliver black head people,” meaning older parents with grey hair have to say goodbye to a young offspring.

I cannot help but think about the factors that have caused this tragic accident. Was it a careless mistake of a reckless driver? Or was it an illegal crossing for the pedestrian? The answer, I would say, is actually the design of the road.

Providence Road has always been one of the busiest roads in the city of Columbia. There are schools, residential buildings, restaurants and supermarkets nearby. However, before I got a car this semester, it was a challenge for me to cross the road as a pedestrian around that area. For example, if I need something from Lucky’s Market, I have to risk my life to cross Providence for my groceries.

I have also heard multiple complaints about the lack of pedestrian crossing in the area. People prefer to risk crossing Providence to avoid having to walk all the way down the road to the designated pedestrian crossing area.

Does it really take a tragedy for officials to realize a problem? It cost the life of a young student from China, but I have yet to hear about the correction about the road inefficiency.

Zou was a beloved 24-year-old woman. She was given a great opportunity to pursue a career in the United States. Not only was it a fantastic opportunity for her, but also a source of great pride for her parents. However, this opportunity has been taken away from Zou and her parents.

She no longer has the chance to pursue a higher education, and more importantly, she does not have the chance to go home to her parents. Accidents like this can be avoided with effort from city officials and the university.