JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Nearly two dozen light poles are being installed in the area of East Arlington where a teenager was hit and killed while walking to his bus stop in April.
Raiden Kelly, 15, was walking along the side of Matthew Ungar Drive, near North Kernan Boulevard, to his bus stop, when he was struck by a Hyundai SUV early in the morning, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.
The man behind the wheel told police it was dark, and he didn’t see Raiden until it was too late.
Neighbors said they were concerned about the lack of street lights on the road.
"It's very frightening, because the kids don't pay attention really. They sort of think you're going to miss them but if you can't see them, you can't miss them. So several of my neighbors have said that they came close to hitting somebody, because it is just pitch black," said Elaine Anwander, who lives in the neighborhood.
JEA confirmed to News4Jax Tuesday that it’s installing 21 lights at the request of the city of Jacksonville. The lights are going up along Matthew Ungar Drive from Kernan to Hickory Creek boulevards. Twenty of the lights are going up on newly installed poles, and one light will be added to an existing pole near Kernan Boulevard.
Anwander said she hopes the lights will prevent another tragic day like the one when Raiden died.
"It's wonderful to see the poles going up. It's just we tried for so many years to get lights here, and it's a shame that someone had to die to get it, but this, maybe, will save another life in the future," Anwander said.
The lights are expected to be functional in about three weeks.
"This is wonderful that we are getting lights. It's fabulous," Anwander said. "It's more important now. So I'm very appreciative that it's finally getting done."