LONGMONT, Colo. — The city of Longmont says it's now looking into the safety of an intersection after an 84-year-old man was struck and killed while crossing the street.
Just after 9 a.m. Tuesday the man was hit by a 31-year-old man who was driving eastbound on Third Avenue near Pratt Street. The initial investigation indicates the victim was crossing northbound across Third Avenue in a designated crosswalk that is not marked with stripes when he was hit.
The man died as a result of his injuries. He was identified by his wife as Anthony Umile. She said he was a very talented artist and photographer who had won many awards for his work.
"It really shook me especially because this is the intersection my kids walk through to get to school everyday," said neighbor Sam Mullis. "I think he'll be very missed by every one of his neighbors and his entire family."
Mullis has been Umile's neighbor for the last 14 years. He said, tragically, he saw his neighbor get hit by a car yesterday morning.
"I happened to be looking up just because I kind of try to keep an eye on him when I see him, make sure he's making it up the hill, that he's not struggling," said Mullis. "It's possibly the worst thing I've ever witnessed in my life."
He said residents in the area have been advocating for safer streets for years.
"It feels like we haven't gotten a lot of response from them. As a group, we've reached out to the city multiple times regarding different intersections in the neighborhood," said Mullis. "Crosswalks that are unmarked, no traffic control devices on multiple intersections in a row."
Mullis says the Third Avenue corridor is dangerous and residents want to see improvements made to make it safer, something he said they've brought up with the city multiple times over several years.
"We've gotten responses like, 'We'll look into this,' or 'We'll do a traffic survey,' or others have mentioned that they got no response at all," said Mullis. "What I'd really like to see is the city take action that doesn't require a fatality, to not wait for someone to get killed in an intersection before they fix the problem."
The city's director of engineering services, Jim Angstadt said they have made safety improvements in the area, such as flashing speed limit signs and curb extensions.
He said they've also held public feedback meetings after residents brought up sight-distance issues along the corridor and are already evaluating the area to make more improvements next year.
Mullis said Umile's loss will leave a big hole in the community.
"Remember Tony, that he was a good neighbor, kind friend, and a good husband, and father, and that this shouldn't have to happen to make something like that change," he said.
Since the incident, the city has received a number of emails related to safety concerns at the intersection.
According to the city, there is a nearby intersection at Third Avenue and Terry Street that has a traffic signal and said that is the preferred route for pedestrians to cross Third Avenue.
In general, crosswalks are not provided at every intersection but can be requested, the city said. If a request is made, city staff will complete a "pedestrian movement study" to determine if the intersection meets the criteria in the city’s Pedestrian Crossing Treatment Guidelines.
A study was done in 2017 at the intersection of Third and Pratt but the results showed it did not meet the criteria to warrant a crossing treatment.
As a result of the fatal accident on Tuesday, and complaints that followed, the city said it has initiated data collection to determine if movements at the intersection now meet the criteria.
City staff is planning safety and traffic calming improvements along the Third Avenue corridor which are planned for next year. The intersection of Third Avenue and Pratt Street will be evaluated for safety improvements as part of that effort.
Speed, drugs, or alcohol are not believed to be involved in the accident, according to Longmont Public Safety. Anyone who witnessed the incident and has not yet spoken with police should contact Jerry Burali at 303-774-4861 and reference report #22-7590.
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