A petition to lower the age for a restraining order in New Jersey is picking up steam a week after two teenage girls were killed in a hit-and-run. 

A 17-year-old suspect was charged with two counts of murder after the crash in Cranford. He was allegedly stalking one of the girls and her family had made multiple complaints to police, according to friends and neighbors of the girls. 

"There definitely should have been something more that could have protected them"

Like the rest of the Cranford community, Charlotte Groll and her brother, Cooper, were heartbroken by the senseless deaths of 17-year-olds Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas on Sept. 29. 

"It's heartbreaking for the families and we don't want any other families to go through what their families are going through right now," Charlotte said. 

The victims' friends and neighbors claim the accused driver was stalking Niotis before he crashed a speeding SUV into the girls riding an e-bike together.

Investigators have not confirmed the stalking accusation or responded to CBS News New York's requests for comment. 

"There definitely should have been something more that could have protected them more. But in the state of New Jersey, there's nothing that anyone could do to help them," Groll said. 

Siblings to meet with Gov. Murphy's office

Groll and her brother started a Change.org petition calling for the Garden State to lower the age requirement to apply for a restraining order from 18 to 15. A minor generally cannot get a restraining order against another minor under the current law. 

"We've gotten multiple people to talk to us about stuff that has happened to them, similar to this, and how they weren't able to get any help in the past. And hopefully, from now moving on, they can get help," Cooper Groll said.

Their petition got more than 5,000 signatures in less than five days. It also got Gov. Phil Murphy's attention. 

"The heartbreaking deaths of two young girls in Cranford last week is a devastating reminder that we must do more to protect our youth and other victims from harm," a spokesperson from the governor's office said. 

Murphy is open to expanding those protections, the spokesperson said. 

The Groll siblings are set to meet with officials from the governor's office on Monday to discuss how to protect more young people.