Neighbors are hoping the death of a Vancouver woman will prompt the city to upgrade crosswalks that use flashing yellow overhead lights along Fourth Plain Boulevard.
Maria Delos-Carrasco Angulo, 25, died last week after being hit by a car while crossing Fourth Plain between Neals and Rossiter lanes. Witnesses said the woman was in a crosswalk when she was hit by a car driving 80 mph. Her body flew about 125 feet from the point of impact.
The alleged driver, James I. Collins, 37, of Vancouver, fled the scene after the crash but was found by police a few blocks away. He appeared last week in court, where prosecutors said they intended to file vehicular homicide charges.
Neighbors say the overhead flashing yellow light crosswalks are ineffective and want a red light system to replace them.
Scattered stuffed animals, flowers and a dozen candles formed a memorial for Angulo near the place where she was hit. Signs read “Protect our pedestrians — demand a stoplight,” “We want a light, not just a yellow caution,” and “No more death.”
Gurvinder Kaur can see the
crosswalk where Angulo was hit outside her window at Pizza Towne restaurant. People don’t always stop when the crosswalks are in use, she said.
Concern about the crosswalk is on the city’s radar, according to city spokeswoman Barbara Ayers.
“We really need to wait for the accident report to be completed to take any kind of action,” she said, adding that the city does constantly evaluate the safety of its streets.
Loretta Callahan, spokeswoman for Vancouver Public Works, said last week that she was not aware of any currently planned updates to the crosswalks on Fourth Plain Boulevard.
She said the city plans to install two hybrid crossings with a red-light system (similar to one in place near Clark College) this year using grant money from the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The crosswalks will go in on Mill Plain Boulevard, Callahan said. One will be near the scene of a fatal crash in December just west of Andresen Road. The other will be somewhere between 164th and 155th avenues.
Paul Suarez: 360-735-4522; http://www.twitter.com/col_cops; paul.suarez@columbian.com.
