Non-functioning street lights near RTC bus crash site cause concern
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A memorial marks the tragic death of a child, hit by an RTC bus crash on Thursday night.
In the light of day, you could see the path of the crash, the path of the bus, and the final resting stop of the child and woman.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said the child and an adult woman attempted to cross Charleston Boulevard outside of a crosswalk near Nellis Boulevard and Lamont Street when they were hit by the bus.
Child dead, woman hospitalized after hit by RTC bus while crossing street in east Las Vegas valley
The child died at the scene of the crash and the woman was hospitalized.
The area they decided to cross is at a gap in fencing meant to discourage jaywalkers and allow for left turns for drivers.
Concerns stem from several non-functioning street lights, and whether the illumination could have prevented the incident.
“Was the adult responsible for crossing the street there, yes. But did they know that they couldn’t cross the street there?” Erin Breen with UNLV’s Transportation Research Center questioned. “There is no sign that says you can’t there’s a big gap in the fence that says you can’t, it is like an invitation for a pedestrian to cross here and this is wrong.”
Breen said more thought was given to motorists over pedestrians in the area. “A child is dead because we put up cattle fencing for a couple of miles down Charleston Boulevard, but then there are breaks to make it more convenient for cars.”
Coupled with a dark night due to non-functioning street lights in the area neighbors told 8 News Now that’s typical.
The questions remain as to why the street lights are off and for how long while the city conducts a post-accident assessment in the area, as is standard following a crash.
Breen speculated whether copper iron thefts impacted the street lights near the crash site.
A few minute’s drive away, Desert Inn and Pecos roads is another problem spot. Several street lights are out, leaving drivers in the dark. The area falls within Clark County jurisdiction and the county staff also suspect copper iron thefts.
The City of Las Vegas has a multi-agency Vision Zero program to increase safety.
Street light upgrades on Charleston Boulevard from the I-15 to Nellis Boulevard are on the list.
The Vision Zero campaign points to an alarming statistic which is that Las Vegas sees an average of one death and three serious injuries on the road every week.
The campaign is working to eliminate those numbers by 2050.
How to report street light outages near you
City and county workers encourage residents to report when street lights are out online or by phone.
Clark County’s FixIt website or call 702-455-6000
City of Las Vegas requests or call 702-229-6075
City of North Las Vegas call 702-633-3275
City of Henderson 702-267-3200
Vision Zero Action PlanDownload
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