One day after a man is hit and killed on a busy Clearwater road, the state is taking action to help pedestrians and cyclists who put their lives in danger each day trying to cross the street.
Troopers are still investigating the crash that killed a pedestrian Tuesday at Roosevelt Boulevard and Morgan Street in Clearwater. Specifics on how the crash occurred weren’t immediately available.
Neighbors said the nearest crosswalk in the area is far away, which causes people to take the risk of crossing the road without it.
Neighbors say they are traumatized after repeat accidents at this intersection. Laura Munoz's six-year-old daughter saw the body of the man lying in the road.
"She was crying and crying and crying last night," Munoz said.
ABC Action News monitored the intersection for under an hour, and found at least seven different instances of people crossing in the middle of the road, not at a legal crosswalk.
One of the bikers captured on camera crossing the street said he does it because it's more convenient than crossing at the crosswalk, which he says is too far away. He is hoping a crosswalk is eventually installed here.
"Everybody would use it," said Brett Baskin, a bicyclist. "You haven't seen nothing. You come here at nighttime, zip, zip, zip, zip!"
People who live in the area say they have seen multiple accidents with pedestrians and cyclists, as well as many near misses.
"I've been first on the scene at least four times," said William Hattaway, a resident.
"They try to run across the street and can't make it," said Randy Mayo.
Mayo said his stepson's friend was killed trying to cross that same stretch of road a few years ago while riding a bike.
"I've just seen them right and left getting hit out here," he said.
ABC Action News contacted the Florida Department of Transportation, who now says they will conduct a traffic study in the area.
That will include taking traffic counts, looking at where the nearest crosswalks are located, pedestrians counts, reviewing crash data and more, said FDOT Spokesperson Kris Carson.
A traffic study is one of the first steps to installing a new crosswalk.
