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A hole in a fence, a freeway, a death Central Point mayor's foster child a victim of circumstances By JILL BRISKEY CENTRAL POINT - Nine-year-old Chris Leventin had recently won a local city race. He thought he could outrun anything. But Friday night, he couldn't outrun Interstate 5. "He was just a little boy who thought he was invincible," Chris's foster father, Central Point Mayor Bill Walton, said Saturday. "He just didn't know any better." Leventin was killed at about 9:12 p.m. Friday near milepost 33. He and two other local boys, ages 11 and 14, had spent the afternoon swimming in the ponds at the Jackson County Exposition Park and apparently decided to take a shortcut home by cutting across the freeway. According to Oregon State Police Sgt. Bill Floyd, the boys crossed Penninger Road and walked through a large hole in the chain-link fence along Interstate 5. Leventin's friends lived in an apartment complex on the west side of the freeway, Floyd said. As the boys dashed across the northbound lanes, Floyd said, driver Richard Hogan, 72, who was driving in the left-hand lane, swerved to the right to avoid two of the youngsters who suddenly appeared in front of him. He did not know Leventin was in the right-hand lane. Hogan, a Livermore, Calif., resident, slammed on the brakes but the right side of his 2000 Chevrolet struck the boy and his bicycle, Floyd said. "There's no indication that there was any excessive speed," Floyd said. "We don't know if (Leventin) was riding his bike or not." Central Point police were first to arrive and attempted to resuscitate the boy, but Leventin was pronounced dead at the scene. Although a bicycle helmet was found nearby, Leventin apparently wasn't wearing it when the accident took place. His two friends weren't injured, Floyd added, and no citations were issued. Leventin was a third-grade student at Jewett Elementary School. Walton said Leventin had been part of their family for three years. Leventin, a soccer player, loved reading and math. He also loved to run and ride his bike, Walton said. "He had a rough life ... a lot of ups and downs," Walton said. "But he was just a very loving kid." According to District Manager John Vial, the Oregon Department of Transportation constantly repairs fencing on both the north and south side of Interstate 5 in Central Point. Vandals strike often, he said, either cutting or knocking down the chain-link structure. Despite the high level of danger, bicyclists and pedestrians have even worn a path through the grassy Interstate 5 median, Vial added. "It's an ongoing, constant headache for us. The kids want a quicker access to go the Expo and go fishing," he said. "We can't keep up with people who keep cutting it and pushing it down." ODOT crews plan to repair the hole the boys walked through Monday or Tuesday, Vial said. Floyd said state police have not received any recent complaints or reports regarding pedestrians crossing Interstate 5 near the fairgrounds. However, Floyd said nearby residents told police they have witnessed people crossing the freeway on foot or on bicycles. Motorists often speed through that area, police said. A vehicle traveling 70 miles an hour covers an estimated 100 feet every second, and Floyd said it's easy to miscalculate distances on foot. "(Motorists) are certainly not expecting to see young people in that area," he said. "At those speeds, it's difficult to stop or maneuver quickly." "People underestimate the speeds and closing distance of the vehicle," Vial added. "It's amazing how fast (a vehicle) gets to you. It's very dangerous." Vial said a tall, cement fence may solve the ongoing problem, but no plan for a new fence is in the works. "It's a tragic event. Our hearts go out to the families," Vial said. "At the same time, it's very difficult for us to manage people who are making choices which are against the law, such as vandalizing the fence by cutting or knocking it down." In December 2000, 12-year-old Joshua Graham was struck and killed by a vehicle when he darted across Interstate 5 in Roseburg. Mark Richard Scouten, a local, 45-year-old transient, was also struck by a vehicle and killed in October 1997 while attempting to cross the freeway north of the Barnett Road Interchange. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.