Ames and ISU ramp up safety campaigns in wake of student death

AMES - A colorful memorial, decorated for Christmas, has gone up at the corner of Ash Avenue and Lincoln Way to commemorate the anniversary of the death of an Iowa State University student who died after being struck by a CyRide bus.

Emmalee Jacobs, 18, of Urbana, died after she was hit by the bus as she crossed the intersection just after 7 a.m. Dec. 14, 2015. It wasn't immediately known what had happened and the crash was classified as a hit-and-run. A month later, police revealed Jacobs was struck by a CyRide bus and the driver was arrested.

Benjamin Clague, 23, of Gilbert, eventually pleaded guilty to a failure to report an accident charge and was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Now, a year later, a makeshift memorial of teddy bears, flowers, snowmen and Christmas greenery, including a small wreath with Jacobs' initials, has gone up near the intersection.

Since Jacobs' death, the city and ISU have undertaken safety campaigns and studies to improve safety in the area for both motorists and pedestrians.

Ames police said the city continues to do outreach and education through the Bike/Walk/Drive Smart campaign to increase awareness of the risks of cars, bicycles and pedestrians sharing the same space.

'Specifically in that Lincoln Way corridor area, we're concerned about pedestrian safety because of all the students that cross there,” said Ames police Cmdr. Jason Tuttle.

Tuttle said the campaign was not the direct result of Jacobs' death, but gained momentum in the months after.

'We didn't want to try and capitalize on a tragedy just to self-serve, but certainly we think we had more ears after that happened,” Tuttle said.

He said the Bike/Walk/Drive Smart campaign is being expanded to include other city departments and community leaders.

'We pretty much have done more of a police department outreach, but this would involve public works more heavily, and other city departments,” Tuttle said. 'We're kind of looking at trying to develop an in-depth safety campaign with other city departments.”

In March, ISU administrators and the Ames City Council entered into an agreement to fund a study that would collect and analyze pedestrian crossing data on Lincoln Way from University Boulevard near Hilton Coliseum to Sheldon Avenue to the west. The goal of the study was to make the area as safe as possible for pedestrians crossing the heavily trafficked street.

Tuttle said driving through the intersection where Jacobs died reminds of him of the need for everyone, both motorists and pedestrians, to be careful.

'It was a reminder for me personally that this was the anniversary of such a tragic event,” Tuttle said. 'It's unfortunate, but a good reminder for all of us as we pass by there to remember safety should come first.”

Grayson Schmidt of the Ames Tribune contributed to this report.