A man crossing the street while apparently taking out the trash near his home in Coronado was struck by a car Wednesday night at an intersection residents say is plagued by traffic dangers, including speeding drivers.
The collision happened around 8:45 p.m. at 4th Street and A Avenue. According to witnesses, the young man was pushing a trash bin across the road when a driver in a silver Honda minivan hit him.
The Coronado Police Department said the victim suffered moderate injuries but was conscious when he was taken to UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest. The driver who hit him – a 74-year-old man, according to police – was not injured.
As of 10:15 a.m. Thursday, the victim’s condition was unknown.
Trash was strewn across the scene, and a damaged recycling bin had been pulled to the side of the road following the collision.
Neighbors said the man has been taking his trash to the other side of the street for about three years, though they are not sure why since he is supposed to put the bins by his own home.
Police shut down all southbound lanes of 4th Street at A Avenue as they investigated the collision. The Coronado Police Department said investigators do not believe alcohol or drugs contributed to the crash.
Residents told NBC 7 Thursday that drivers constantly speed at the intersection of 4th Street and A Avenue, easily going 10 to 20 miles over the posted 30 mph speed limit.
David MacDonald has lived in the area since 1992. At the corner outside his home, there is a makeshift memorial of candles and flowers that were left there last spring when another man was hit crossing the street. That man died, neighbors said.
MacDonald believes improvements to traffic safety in his neighborhood are necessary. Residents said traffic needs to be controlled or blocked off at A, B and C avenues because commuters often use these residential streets as shortcuts.
As a result, residents said those streets have become unsafe.
"People use these cross streets to cut through, to get to IB," Coronado resident Kerry Himmelberger explained. "They [the city] have to do something to stop this. It's ridiculous. When you cross 4th Street, you're taking your life into your hands."
"It's intolerable," MacDonald added, referring to the dangerous roads.
MacDonald and his neighbors currently have bright green signs posted in their yards that read “PLEASE SLOW DOWN.”
He and other residents want the city to put in a stoplight or crosswalk so another incident like this does not happen again. NBC 7 reached out to the City of Coronado Thursday for comment on traffic safety in the area, including the possibility of putting in a new stoplight or more signage on the streets.
Meanwhile, residents told NBC 7 they believe the victim in Wednesday night’s collision is a young college student who was home from school visiting his parents. The victim was supposed to go back to school next week, residents said.
"It's a nightmare," said MacDonald. "I had a difficult time falling asleep last night, knowing it's my neighbor as well."
The collision remains under investigation and anyone with information on the case should reach out to investigators at (619) 522-7350.
