In Loving Memory of Catherine Rodriguez Forever Loved. Forever Remembered
COLUMBUS, Ohio — As construction continues along Westerville Road on the northeast side of Columbus, city officials and community members are once again reminded of the importance of safety on our streets. This reminder comes with a heaviness in the heart, as the community remembers 4-year-old Catherine Rodriguez, whose young life was tragically taken three years ago while trick-or-treating at Westerville Road and Valley Park Avenue.
Catherine’s passing is not just a tragic statistic or a moment in time—it is a profound loss that continues to echo through the lives of her family, neighbors, and those who witnessed the tragedy. Her name has become a symbol of why vigilance, awareness, and safer street design matter. Catherine was a child full of innocence, curiosity, and wonder. She was loved dearly, and her joy brought light into the lives of everyone who knew her. Her laughter, her smile, and her spirit remain deeply missed.
Her family carries memories of her that will never fade—the way she held their hands, the way she played, the way she made even the smallest days feel special. To love a child is to give your heart entirely, and to lose that child is to feel an emptiness that words cannot begin to fill. Catherine’s life, though short, was filled with love. Her presence was a gift, and her absence is felt every day.
In the years since her passing, the community has continued to push for safer roads—not only in memory of Catherine, but in protection of every child, every parent, every pedestrian, and every neighbor who uses these streets. The ongoing construction along Westerville Road, guided through the Vision Zero initiative, is part of an effort to prevent tragedies like this from happening again. These efforts acknowledge a painful truth: our roads must be designed not just for efficiency, but for life.
Katherine Swidarski, coordinator for Vision Zero in Columbus, reminds the community of the necessity of awareness, especially as the days grow darker and families take to the sidewalks to celebrate traditions like trick-or-treating. With new road patterns, construction changes, and detours altering familiar routes, the responsibility to protect one another becomes even more pressing.
Residents have also voiced concerns about speeding, cut-through traffic, and unsafe driving behaviors in nearby neighborhoods. These frustrations are not about inconvenience—they are about safety, about the value of a single life, and about preventing another family from ever having to endure the grief Catherine’s family carries.
Barriers have been placed, roads have been redesigned, and more changes will continue—but the heart of this effort is not concrete or signage. It is remembrance. It is love. It is Catherine.
This is not simply about improving roadways—it is about protecting futures.
It is about ensuring that children can walk, play, laugh, explore, and grow—safely.
It is about honoring a life taken too soon by fighting to safeguard the lives of others.
As Halloween and other community celebrations approach, families are encouraged to stay alert, slow down, hold hands tight, and look out for one another. These are simple acts, but they are acts of love, and they are acts of remembrance.
To Catherine:
Your name continues to inspire change.
Your memory continues to guide hearts.
Your love continues to shine.
You will forever be a cherished part of this community—
and your story will continue to lead the way toward safer streets,
more mindful drivers, and a world that treasures every child’s life.
Rest in peace, sweet Catherine.
Your light will never fade.
