On a beautiful sunny day in May 2006, a pretty little four year old girl named Maya Hirsch spent a wonderful afternoon at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago with her mother and her older brother, but when they left the zoo they did not all make it home.

As they were crossing the street nearby, a car drove through the intersection of Belden and Lincoln Park West without stopping at a stop sign. It struck all three of them. Maya’s mother and brother were slightly hurt, but Maya was pulled under the car as it drove off without stopping. Although Maya was immediately taken to the hospital, only a few blocks away, there was nothing they could do to save her, and she died.

Maya’s story touched many people, outraging everyday citizens and leading to an outpouring of support for Maya’s family, while calling on law enforcement for stricter penalties to deter drivers from ignoring stop signs. In February of 2007, Ald. Vi Dailey sponsored a proposal, subsequently passed by the Chicago City Council, that increased the financial penalty on stop sign scofflaws, as well as requiring them to appear in person in court. The ordinance quickly became known as ‘Maya’s Law.’

No amount of legislation could ever be enough to erase the pain of Maya’s death. More needs to be done to protect the pedestrians of Chicago from careless driving habits, and to prevent such a tragedy from visiting other families. Stop For Maya was founded in Maya’s cherished memory, with the idea that a collection of concerned citizens banding together can effectively advocate for the safety of our friends and neighbors, on foot and on bicycles. In the spirit of the beautiful little girl whose life was unfairly cut short, it is the least we can do.