LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A 10-year-old boy was hit and killed while crossing East Charleston Boulevard near Mojave Road Thursday night, marking the valley's 25th traffic-related death this year, according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.
Traffic
LVMPD investigates death of 10-year-old hit by vehicle
The deadly crash is renewing concerns among people who live and work in the area.
Erin Breen, the director of PedSafe Vegas, said the death is part of a troubling trend.
WATCH | Child killed crossing Charleston Blvd.: Valley's 25th traffic death this year
"Lost our 12th juvenile in the past 10 months traveling outside of a vehicle," Breen said.
Breen said the issue goes beyond speeding, impairment, and distracted driving — pointing to how the city itself was designed.
"Our city was built almost exclusively post World War II when cars started to be more public and so we live in a city that is built for cars," Breen said.
She said roadways were not made to support the number of people now using them on foot.
"Our road structure is built for cars and so we have to go back and retrofit some of that," Breen said.
One of the major concerns for this specific area is that a large apartment complex sits on one side of East Charleston Boulevard and a large shopping center sits on the other — with no crosswalk connecting the two.
"We have to do some stopgap things in between in areas like this where we know it's a challenge for an awful lot of people on foot to simply to go get a soda or go do a load of laundry," Breen said.
During an interview at the scene that lasted about 12 minutes, more than 10 people were seen crossing outside of crosswalks. Some were trying to catch the bus, others were heading to the apartment complex, and others were walking to and from nearby businesses. When it got dark, even more people were spotted crossing the very area where the boy was hit and killed.
Breen said adding more crosswalks could change behavior for both drivers and pedestrians.
"Right now drivers don't look for crosswalks because there aren't very many of them. And when there aren't very many crosswalks and you're not used to them, once again we're adding to that I didn't see them so if we added more crosswalks, drivers might get used to watching for them and actually stopping, and you will see pedestrians go out of their way if they think there's a reward," Breen said.
As Metro and city leaders work to reduce traffic-related deaths, Breen is urging drivers to pay attention and follow the speed limit. She is also encouraging parents to talk with their children about crossing the street safely.
Do you have a question or concern about the roadways you travel on? We want to hear about it from you. Contact us at ktnv.com/letstalk.
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