PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — So many parents are looking to do their part to keep kids safe throughout SWFL after the tragic death of 8-year-old Layla Aiken, who was killed in Cape Coral, during a hit and run in March.
That’s one reason a Port Charlotte man is taking time out of his day to hold up a sign, asking driving to slow down after school, outside of the Peace River Elementary school, where his 10-year-old son attends.
To put it simply, Chris Analetto, had enough of the speeding drivers on Beaver Lane and Handcock Road. Analetto says it wasn’t hard to miss when he picked up his son after school. So he took matters into his own hands.
"So I started yelling at them for a while, it didn’t do any good, they just thought I was some crazy guy yelling at them,” Analetto said. He added that didn’t work out too well at first, then he decided to make his own sign that read, “School Zone - Speed Limit 15MPH.”
Analetto walks with the sign, up and down Beaver Lane, with two bad legs, due to diabetic neuropathy. He says he can barely move when he gets back home - but he explains, it’s worth it.
"I’m a scared parent that’s really all it is, I’m not trying to do anything or upset anybody, just out here trying to slow people down,” he said.
Charlotte County School District says they were aware of what Analetto was doing. Mike Riley, the district spokesperson says the district isn’t against what he’s doing, because he’s a parent advocating for safety.
"It makes a difference because people do speed down this road, if by chance it saves a Child’s life then God bless him for that,” Riley said.
