The Willow Glen Resident

Mary Nail

Willow Street accident victim dies of injuries

Relatives vow to lobby to make street safer

By Cecily Barnes

Mary Nail, 55, died in the hospital two weeks after being struck down on Willow Street while walking to Bramhall Park. Now her daughter, Juliet Nail, says she will do whatever is necessary to make the street safe for children and elderly people.

"Everyone goes to that park, and no one can get across," Nail said. "I will do everything in my power to make sure the city does something to make that street safe."

According to city officials, a traffic study of Willow Street is already in the works. Nail plans to wait for the outcome of that study before pursuing the issue further.

"I'm pretty sure the city will do something," Nail said. "The results from the traffic study will be presented to the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association."

District 6 Councilmember Frank Fiscalini's chief aide, Joe Guerra, confirmed that the Department of Streets and Traffic is looking into putting a stop sign at Willow Street and Camino Pablo.

"It's something that our office would be supportive of," Guerra said.

Mary Nail was walking to Bramhall Park with her daughter and granddaughter on Oct. 3, the day she was hit. Juliet Nail says she was afraid her mother would get hit while crossing the street, so she asked her to wait for 15 minutes while she took her daughter to the park.

"It was starting to be dusk and I was afraid to cross the street with her, I was afraid we'd get hit," Nail said. "I told my mom to stay and I'd come back in 15 minutes."

But Mary Nail got tired of waiting and tried to brave the street alone. Halfway to Bramhall Park at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 3 she was hit by a 1992 two-door Geo Metro, said Sgt. Bob Beams, public information officer for the San Jose Police Department. Paramedics transported Nail to the Valley Medical Center where she was diagnosed with lacerations to the head and broken bones. Weeks later, on Oct. 18, she died.

"She was doing well, so we authorized a surgery on her arm," her said. "Something happened with her blood, and she never woke up after the surgery."

Mary Nail grew up in Orinda, Calif., before she moved to Dayton, Ohio, to be a nurse and raise her children.

"As a mother she was very involved in our lives," daughter Terry Nail said. "She was a Girl Scout leader, and she came to support us in our school events and in our many athletic events. "

In 1993, Nail moved to Willow Glen from Ohio to be closer to her grown-up daughters. Plagued with various health problems from diabetes to high blood pressure, Nail spent most of her time in Willow Glen visiting family and the community.

"My mom really liked Willow Glen," Nail said. "She would get her hair cut at May's and she would eat at Babe's Pizza."

Juliet Nail says traffic mitigations on Willow Street would make small amends for her mother's death.

"It was awful," Nail said. "My little girl saw it and kept asking me, 'Is grandma dead?' I kept telling her that she was OK, and then I had to explain to her that she had died. '"

Traffic on Willow Street will be discussed at the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association's Nov. 12 meeting.

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