They’re the tiniest soldiers in the city’s battle to slam the brakes on dangerous drivers.
A troop of fourth graders marched Wednesday to a Manhattan street-naming ceremony honoring a 9-year-old classmate who was killed by a taxi driver.
The friends of Cooper Stock gathered at the corner of W. 97th St. and West End Ave. — wearing white “Cooper’s Troopers” shirts and carrying signs with messages such as, “Driving too fast kills.”
They remained silent as Cooper’s mom Dana Lerner and City Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal unveiled a sign for “Cooper Stock Way.”
“Now your name is on the street where you lived for nine years,” Lerner said, speaking directly to her son.
“It is here for the worst possible reason. What people need to understand when they look at this sign is that you were the innocent victim of the reckless driving epidemic.”
Cooper was holding his father’s hand on Jan. 10, 2014, as they crossed West End Ave. when a yellow cab made a left turn and plowed into the child in the crosswalk.
The cabbie, Koffi Komlani, was ordered to pay a $580 fine and faces no jail time.
The boy’s tragic death sparked Cooper’s Law, which requires the immediate suspension of a cabbie’s license if they seriously injure or kill a pedestrian.
Cooper’s death was one of a spate of pedestrian fatalities in the city last year that spurred Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative to improve safety on the streets.
The students from The Calhoun School, speaking at Wednesday’s ceremony, paid tribute to their fallen classmate.
“Cooper was a great friend of mine,” said Jonathan Hume, 10. “I miss him so much.”
Palmer Pyles, 10, said Cooper was “obsessed with Shirley Temple” and loved playing basketball.
“He was a great friend, and I will always miss him,” Palmer added.
Rosenthal said she believes city children can play a major role in the effort to curtail the number of pedestrian fatalities.
“Seeing those kids and being embraced by them sent such a powerful message about how we can educate the next generation,” Rosenthal added.
“They are proud Cooper’s Troopers. They’re the ones who are gonna bring it home to their parents and to their larger and wider community.”
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