A new crosswalk on Brownsville Road in the townships of Lower Southampton and Bensalem now stands as both a tribute and a safeguard—honoring the life of 18-year-old Isabella Shinn while protecting the pedestrians who walk the same stretch of road where she died nearly four years ago.
Family, friends, state and local officials, including Bensalem Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo, gathered recently to unveil dedicated signage, cut the ribbon, and mark the completion of critical pedestrian safety upgrades along the corridor.
Isabella was an Archbishop Wood High School senior set to graduate, a second-degree black belt, a swim instructor, and an avid Phillies fan who had been accepted into every Pennsylvania college she applied to. She was walking home from her job at Bruster’s Ice Cream when she was struck and killed.
After Isabella’s death, the Shinn family advocated for safety improvements to honor her memory and to ensure the road was safer for all pedestrians. State Reps. K.C. Tomlinson, Joe Hogan, and state Sen. Frank Farry secured the funding for the project and worked with PennDOT, Bensalem, and Lower Southampton for several years to make it happen.
The newly completed project features a dedicated crosswalk equipped with rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs), ADA-compliant curb ramps, new sidewalks, and memorial signs carrying Isabella’s name.
While the ceremony offered a moment of bittersweet peace for the Shinn family, officials hope the memorial crosswalk serves a lasting dual purpose: keeping Isabella’s memory alive while reminding drivers to slow down, stay alert, and share the road.