Concerns raised after Jacksonville sees 3 pedestrians killed by vehicles in past week

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Concerns continue to intensify after three pedestrians in Jacksonville were killed in traffic in the past week.

The most recent happened near Naval Air Station Jacksonville at the intersection of Avena and Palm Hills drives on Sunday.

It came after another pedestrian was killed on New Kings Road Friday night, and a woman was killed crossing Arlington Expressway on Christmas morning.

News4JAX went out to New Kings Road to talk to drivers and found there are large stretches of road with no crosswalks. That includes a large mobile home park with an exit but no sidewalks to go onto.

“I guess put some more of those crossing guards up. More of those lights like up the road,” said Pastor A.L. Jordan, who drives in the area a lot.

News4JAX Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney said stories like these are why police sometimes cite people for jaywalking to cut down on pedestrian fatalities.

He also discussed the large wrapped traffic signal devices that the Department of Transportation placed at around 70 intersections in 2017.

Hackey said they can only do so much good.

“I think it becomes background, honestly,” Hackney said. “Thirty years with the Sheriff’s Office, coming up with logical ways to stop this.”