LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two young men have died in separate hit-and-run collisions on Dixie Highway within the past few days.
According to authorities, a man in his early 20's died late Sunday night at the intersection of Dixie Highway and Crums Lane. Shively Police said officers received conflicting reports about what type of car was involved.
His identity has yet to be released.
Last Friday, south of Bernheim Lane and Dixie Highway, 19-year-old Derrick L. Wright Jr. was killed in another hit-and-run. On Monday, two stuffed animals marked the site where it happened, fastened to a utility pole.
"We do see really regular fatal and serious injury crashes along Dixie Highway. We're going to continue to see those until we address roadway geometry," Claire Yates, a transportation expert with Louisville's Department of Public Works, said.
Both pedestrian crashes occurred at night, a commonality Yates often sees.
"Most pedestrian fatalities occur in non-daylight hours, and so investing in adequate street lighting along a dangerous roadway has been proven to reduce fatal and serious-injury pedestrian crashes," she said.
Reducing these deaths to zero is her goal. It's part of the Vision Zero initiative.
"Vision Zero Louisville believes that roadway deaths are preventable and our goal is zero deaths by 2050," Yates said.
According to Yates, the plan requires a culture shift in addition to more infrastructure and post-crash care.
On Monday, two pedestrians waited as three cars drove through their right-of-way where the unidentified man died near Crums Lane. The walk-sign clearly displayed it was their turn.
Further north, where Wright Jr. died, sidewalks are either non-existent or incomplete. Installing them could improve safety, according to Yates.
Some federal grant money is funding a project nearby that she said "might include adding a turning lane" and "building new sidewalks or adding curbing as well."
Until then, Yates encourages drivers to slow down.
"It just might save a life," she said.
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