VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The journey from a parking spot to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront can be dangerous.
10 On Your Side watched on Tuesday as people waited for a car to stop or sprinted across the crosswalks where 15th and 16th streets meet Pacific Avenue. At times, pedestrians had to stop in the middle of the crosswalk because some cars would stop and others would not.
That’s because, unlike other nearby intersections, there is no traffic light.
It’s a big problem that’s hit close to home for Ashanti Smith and her brother Daryl Rome.
Last Thursday night, their mother, Adriane Rome, was hit by a car while crossing 15th Street and Pacific Avenue on the way home from the beach.
She’s been in the hospital in a coma ever since.
“She was almost home she was almost home… That’s my best friend. If you see her, you see me and it’s hurting me right now. It really is,” said Smith.
This is at least the second time a driver has hit someone in that area in recent months.
“How many more people do we have to have this happen to? Be in critical condition before you guys put a light out here?” Smith asked.
It wasn’t until WAVY-TV contacted Virginia Beach police after hearing about the incident from viewers, that they informed us about the crash.
VBPD officials said the crash happened around 8:35 p.m. at the intersection near Star of the Sea Catholic Church. Police said the car’s driver stayed on scene and cooperated with the investigators. There’s no word yet whether the driver will face charges.
Smith said all they got was a police report, which they were later told was inaccurate at a local police precinct.
Outside of being frustrated with police, Smith and Rome want drivers to slow down. They also want the city to put up the infrastructure to force drivers to reduce their speed.
It appears the city has something in the works: 10 On Your Side saw new poles with crosswalk buttons at both 15th and 16th streets and Pacific Avenue. City officials have not responded to what that project ultimately will look like.
“The limit is 25 mph. The injuries my mother has right now, it’s ridiculous. The man wasn’t going 25,” said Daryl Rome.
If you’re interested in donating toward their mother’s medical bills, you can find a link to the GoFundMe page here.