LOS ANGELES — This week, the LA County Board of Supervisors discussed new ways to stop fatal traffic crashes across Los Angeles.

Supervisor Holly Mitchell brought two motions to the Board, hoping to put an end to deadly street takeovers.

It’s painful, even to just walk up the ramp says Maria Rivas-Cruz as she makes her way to the Board of County Supervisors meeting. She says she’s still healing mentally and physically after she and her fiancé were hit by a car as they walked home on February 19th.

“Every day, all day, I get that reminder and it’s frustrating not knowing why?” she said. 

After a coma and several surgeries, Rivas-Cruz shows where pieces of the car still remain in her leg.

Though this pain pales in comparison to her broken heart. Maria lost the love of her life that night. She says she would do anything to bring Raymond back home. He was a 27-year-old civil engineer.

“The most extraordinary person ever,” she added. 

She says a car that was fleeing a street takeover came racing down and hit them as they crossed a street in Compton.

It’s why she’s here meeting Raymond’s sister, Cindi Enamorado, to raise awareness about the dangers of street takeovers and plea for change at the LA County Board of Supervisors meeting.

“This is what Raymond would have done if he was in our shoes,” Enamorado said through tears. “If it would’ve been one of us, he’d be out picketing, he’d be out protesting, he’d be out trying to write letters to whoever he could, to get support for us in our honor, so that he wouldn’t die in vain and this is what I’m doing for him.”

Supervisor Holly Mitchell brought a motion to address illegal street takeovers and racing in LA County, saying current ordinances do little to curb the issue.

In a unanimous vote, the Board approved the motion that includes several tangible steps to stop takeovers, including a forum to determine strategies and a comprehensive plan to implement community-based solutions.

“We have to be purposeful in naming this issue and providing the necessary attention, approach and platform to come up with a solution,” Supervisor Mitchell said in the meeting.

Lori Argumedo and Lili Trujillo Puckett are excited to be involved. The two have been working to create programs and new legislation as part of their organization Street Racing Kills that Lili founded after she lost her daughter and Lori, her niece, both victims of street racing.

They call this motion a major step in the right direction.

“I always think that it has to be a combination of everything,” Trujillo Puckett said. “It has to be legislation. It has to be education, which is so imperative, not only among the youth but also among young adults.”

An awareness Maria is raising through firsthand experience.

“I am tired, I am mad,” she cried in public comment to the Board. “Every week there’s doctor’s appointments and I don’t know what to do anymore.”

Using her voice in an effort to prevent another family from feeling this pain.