DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Residents of Delray Beach are calling for a crosswalk at the intersection of East Atlantic Avenue and Palm Square, right next to the Intracoastal Waterway.
Delray Beach police said a car struck four pedestrians in that area about an hour before midnight on New Year's Eve.
"There were ambulances, cop cars, people surrounding it," said Ava McInerney, a hostess at the Over the Bridge Cafe, which sits right in front of the area. "Our table right here, there were some people sitting down and when it happened, they got up and ran right over."
McInerney has a front row view of that accident area everyday and calls it "problematic."
"I'm here almost every day, every weekend, for me being out here 24/7, it is really not surprised. There's been a lot of crashes before the bridge, a lot of tragic events before the bridge," said McInerney.
McInerney said the reason why there are so many accidents is clear to her.
"Because we have no crosswalk, there's really no choice for us but to run back and forth across the street," said McInerney.
"It's common for people darting across the street, especially in this section of the road, there's not many crosswalks," added Lynn Barstow, a Delray Beach resident. "I think I see a lot of people cross right here [on Palm Square] from the parking lot."
WPTV noticed on one side of the street is the public parking. On the other side are the shops and restaurants like Over the Bridge.
Yet the closest crosswalk is two streets over on Seventh Avenue.
The only options for people trying to get from one side to the other is to either go all the way around or try to dodge traffic.
"I see a lot of people darting across right here," said Barstow. "I think someone is trying to do it right here," she added as yet another person dodged a vehicle.
WPTV tried to count the jaywalkers ourselves, yet lost count after seeing dozens. Some nearly were hit by cars.
"It's happened to me before, as well as my friend," said McInerney. "It's very often, almost everyday."
"There's just so many people getting hit all the time," added Barstow.
For both women, the solution is simple.
"Add a couple crosswalks," said McInerney.
"And maybe some lights in the evening time so people can stand out," added Barstow.
Both hope the next accident can be prevented.
"Something like this has happened many times," said McInerney. "And it's something we need to take hold of and make sure that it doesn't happen again."
WPTV addressed those concerns with Delray Beach. A spokesperson for the city said officials will take a look at the intersection to see if there is a problem with pedestrian crashes and, if there is, see what they can do to address it.
Police said three out of the four pedestrians hit Saturday were seriously hurt and hospitalized. As of Tuesday, there was no update to their conditions.
The fourth pedestrian was not seriously hurt.
Police said the driver did stop and cooperate with officers and at this time is not facing charges.
