A community is grieving, and a conversation that should have happened long ago is finally taking place on the streets of Billings, Montana.

Chase Lantz, a 13-year-old seventh grader at Will James Middle School, was struck by a car while walking to school during the early morning hours near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Rehberg Lane.

The impact was devastating — the force of the collision sent the boy flying roughly 200 feet down the road, according to investigators.

He was airlifted to a hospital in Denver, where doctors confirmed he had suffered a traumatic brain injury, along with fractures to his femur, pelvis, and spine.

His family has since confirmed that Chase would be taken off life support, a decision no parent should ever have to make.

Officers who arrived at the scene immediately began CPR, with Billings Fire and AMR taking over until Chase could be transported.

The crosswalk where the crash occurred sits just steps from the school — a route hundreds of students travel every single morning.

In the days that followed, the Will James campus became a quiet sea of red — Chase's favorite color.

Volunteers spent hours weaving red ribbons around trees and fence posts near the school entrance, a visible reminder that the community was standing together in its pain.

Students showed up wearing red, many with handmade bracelets crafted by classmates determined to keep Chase's memory close.

A fundraiser was organized to help Chase's family with mounting expenses, including travel and care costs incurred during the ordeal.

But grief alone is not enough — parents and community members are now demanding real, structural change at pedestrian crossings near local schools.

Families are calling on city officials to install flashing crosswalk signals, improved pedestrian crossing signs, and dedicated crossing guards along Grand Avenue, where morning traffic surges as commuters and school-bound vehicles compete for the same stretch of road.

The City of Billings has responded by launching a public awareness campaign urging drivers to slow down, pay attention to posted school speed limit signs, and resist the pressure of rushed morning routines.

According to recent reports, child pedestrian injuries nationwide spike sharply in August and September as the school year resumes — and Billings is far from immune to that trend.

The incident near Will James Middle School is part of a troubling local pattern, with authorities also responding to separate crashes involving young pedestrians and micromobility riders near other Billings schools in recent weeks.

Officials confirmed the crash remains under active investigation, and no charges have been filed at this time.

For a city still processing this loss, the call is clear — pedestrian safety near schools can no longer be an afterthought.

Chase Lantz deserved a safe walk to school.

Every child in Billings does too.