Buckhead residents have started a petition asking Atlanta City Council members Mary Norwood and Howard Shook to determine if safety improvements could be made at the intersection where a teenager died in a vehicular accident on Sept. 13.
The residents included the Atlanta Department of Transportation and MARTA in the request for the assessment.
Benjamin Reiser, 16, a junior at Mount Vernon School, died after his motorcycle collided with an SUV at the intersection of Roswell Road NE and Laurel Forest Circle NE.
The petition, signed by almost 4,000 people, asked for immediate safety improvements to be made to the intersection, including:
• installing a visibility mirror to improve sight lines for drivers turning from Laurel Forest Circle;
• Conducting a comprehensive traffic safety study of this intersection and implementing additional measures such as improved signage, traffic calming, and pedestrian protections;
• Providing a safe, accessible bus stop platform so riders are not forced to stand in dangerous conditions.
Norwood and Shook released a joint statement expressing shock and grief over the accident, saying they are working to ensure the Atlanta Police Department, the city’s transportation department, MARTA, and the Georgia Department of Transportation review the circumstances of the accident and to take appropriate actions based on that review.
Reiser’s obituary called him “a bright light whose energy, wit, and entrepreneurial spirit inspired everyone around him.”
“A natural athlete, Benji found joy in swimming and shared his talents as a Summer Swim Coach at Chastain Park,” the obituary said. “He also loved playing pickleball, a sport he quickly took to with his trademark enthusiasm and competitive spirit. Beyond athletics, he was always dreaming, creating, and hustling—whether talking business ideas, investments, working on projects, or simply finding ways to make things happen.”
The family created a GoFundMe page to support Reiser’s legacy with funds designated to carry on his entrepreneurial spirit. More than $1,4,000 in donations have been received from 112 donors.
“He was always exploring new business ideas, asking big questions, and imagining how creativity, technology, and investing could shape the future,” the GoFundMe page said of Reiser. “He loved sharing those ideas, encouraging others to think bigger and to take action now, not later.”
The family said the fund, while still in the concept stage, would be aimed toward nurturing “in young people the same curiosity, creativity, and sense of community that Benji lived every day.”
Reiser was a junior at Mount Vernon School. It was his first year at the school after attending Galloway School prior to that, according to a Galloway spokesperson.
The Atlanta Police Department (APD) responded to the accident on Sept. 13 and observed a motorcycle and SUV that were involved in the collision, according to a news release.
The driver of the SUV sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to the APD’s news release. It is not known whether it has been determined that Reiser or the driver of the SUV was at fault.
Rough Draft has requested an incident report about the incident and will update the story when more information is known.
A memorial service celebrating Reiser’s life will be held on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. at Northside United Methodist Church, 2799 Northside Drive NW, Atlanta, with a reception to follow.