ST. LOUIS – Gerrod Harris has operated First Class Barbershop on West Florissant for nearly 20 years. He’s heartbroken over the passing of a familiar face struck and killed by a vehicle earlier in the week.
“It’s a terrible loss,” he said.
Harris is referring to the death of a mother and critical injuries to her son after they were struck while walking in a bike lane, according to St. Louis Police.
The family of Shirley Jean Howard shared a GoFundMe this week to help with her funeral and medical expenses for her son Amir.
The initial police investigation determined the mother was pushing her son’s stroller in the bike lane because the sidewalks were too icy for her to safely manuever. Nearby residents also point to piles of snow left behind by plows, which they say result in pedestrians walking in the street.
“Everybody that walks normally ends up walking out in the street,” said Joe McCaster, one of Harris’s fellow barbers.
In the city of St. Louis, property owners are required to clear sidewalks.
Police say the driver of the car that struck the victims is in his eighties and remained on the scene. The investigation into the deadly tragedy continues.