LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — East Las Vegas resident, Alejandra Falcon, lives just across the way from a busy intersection near Charleston Boulevard and Lucerne Street.
Falcon says the area is notorious for jaywalking and believes it’s a habit that has gotten out of control.
“I was actually one of them, but after what I heard, I stopped,” Falcon said.
Last Thursday, a young girl died after being hit by an RTC bus. A woman was also hit and remains in critical condition at UMC, according to Metro police.
The crash happened on a stretch of the road where the posted speed limit is 45 miles per hour, the street lights are turned off, and the nearest crosswalk is about a block away.
“The whole mindset of wanting to make things more convenient for the car, especially in a neighborhood like this, is completely wrong,” said Erin Breen, a road safety advocate in Las Vegas.
Breen called the area a crash hotspot.
Breen explained that the median up and down the particular section of Charleston is divided by a fence, but there are gaps in the fence to allow cars to turn.
“This is, in fact, an illegal place to cross the street, but it is a big invitation to cross the street,” Breen said.
Channel 13 asked the City of Las Vegas about the lighting issue. A city spokesperson responded and told us it had to do with copper wire theft.
“It doesn't matter. In a neighborhood like this, it needs to be replaced immediately because you need to be able to see people,” Breen said.
The spokesperson with the City of Las Vegas also told Channel 13 the streetlights had been repaired, but as of Wednesday night, the lights are still off.
