DENHAM SPRINGS — A petition calling for Denham Springs officials to lower the speed limit in the school zone outside Gray's Creek Elementary School following the death of crossing guard Katy Wells has garnered more than 500 signatures.

Wells died after being struck by a truck while she was directing traffic outside the school on April 30. Darren Goudeau, 64, was arrested on vehicular homicide and DWI charges shortly after the crash.

The current speed limit in the school zone is 45 mph, a speed limit Ciera Plunkett, the organizer of the change.org petition, says is far too high. Plunkett wants to see the limit reduced to 25 mph along the stretch of La. 16 and La. 1033 that pass in front of Gray's Creek. 

"At 45 mph, a driver has drastically less time to react. One mistake. One moment of distraction. And the consequences are irreversible," the petition says. 

Plunkett says that, two weeks before Wells' death, a parent was walking her children home from school and was "forced to yank them back from the road when a driver—who wasn’t paying attention—failed to stop, despite a school bus actively holding traffic with flashing lights and its stop sign extended."

"This is not a 'what if' situation. This is not a rare occurrence. This is a pattern," the petition continues.

In addition to the change in the school zone's speed limit, the petition calls for clearer signage and flashing school zone indicators, increased enforcement of traffic laws during school hours and the evaluation of additional safety measures like crosswalk improvements and traffic calming devices.