DC shadow MP Owolewa is calling for road safety reform following the recent accident

WASHINGTON – DC Shadow representative Oye Owolewa speaks out for the first time since being injured in a serious accident earlier this month.

The accident, which occurred on Alabama Avenue Southeast, left Owolewa hospitalized for a week, suffering from a concussion and neck and back sprains. Now in physical therapy, he is eager to get back to work and plans to put his experiences into action for his community on Ward 8.

Speaking to FOX 5, Owolewa expressed frustration with the district’s Vision Zero plan, which aims to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities but, he said, has not had a noticeable impact in District 8.

“Right now we are talking about Vision Zero and the lack or attempt to prevent deaths and serious injuries,” Owolewa said. “But we see here in District 8 that Vision Zero is not really a reality. I want the same things to happen across the county, like traffic lights and safety mechanisms, so these collisions don’t happen.”

Owolewa is calling for increased traffic safety measures, including traffic lights and intersection cameras to record collisions, which he says will help improve accountability and sentencing for hit-and-run incidents in Washington

According to a police report, on Oct. 4, officers responded to a traffic collision involving a GMC SUV and a Porsche sedan at the intersection of Langston and Raynolds Street Southeast. The call came in at 5:27 p.m

The driver of the Porsche, Owolewa, reported injuries but declined a trip to the hospital. Both drivers remained at the scene of the accident, police said, and the investigation is ongoing.