Friends and neighbors of a Poway woman hit and killed by a car while walking in a crosswalk over the weekend say they've been pushing the city to make traffic safety improvements in the area.
“She was the sweetest, the most amazing person you can imagine,” Vince Petrucci said describing the victim, and his ex-wife, Grace Uyeki. They were married 30 years and had two children together, both of whom he described as devastated.
Even though the couple was divorced, they were close and spent Thanksgiving together. Petrucci heard about the accident Saturday from his son.
“He called me, and I was aghast, taken aback … How could this happen? I want to know more details," he said.
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Uyeki was hit at the intersection of Midland and Edgemoor Saturday morning around 9 a.m. In a news release, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said, citing witness reports, that a 35-year-old driver stopped at the intersection and then turned left onto Midland Road. While turning left they failed to yield the right of way and hit Uyeki in the crosswalk. The driver told police he did not see Uyeki. Investigators don't believe the driver was under the influence.
Petrucci said accidents can happen; he does not know if the traffic issues contribute to the accident, but said he believes people need to pay attention in general.
“I’m going to miss her even though I missed her for three or four years now. I could always see her, I can’t see her anymore now, and my son is going to miss her, and my daughter is going to miss her even more," he said.
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Uyeki's neighbor Debbie Barton is more than sad about the loss of her friend.
“I’m angry because this has been brought to the attention of the city many times," Barton said regarding traffic on Midland Road.
She said she has written two letters to the city “begging” the city to get the traffic on Midland under control, whether with speed bumps or stoplights. She showed NBC 7 the letters and a response from the city suggesting she put together a petition, since traffic calming can be contentious.
“The onus should not be on us as citizens," said Barton, who also lamented that she did not petition for a change given her friend’s tragic death.
Barton is not the only one who has concerns. Poway resident Jim Bunner said his group has gone to city council meetings repeatedly to complain that the city has allowed growth in the area without the right traffic infrastructure.
“They’re coming through here flying and often if they’re tecting or not paying attention to what they’re doing … too many kids, too much development and the city needs to step back and take a look at what is a dangerous situation," Bunner said.
In a statement, the city of Poway said the intersection is not dangerous.
“Regarding the pedestrian fatality on Saturday morning, this intersection has not been previously identified as a location of concern within our city. In regards to traffic safety, residents are able to report concerns to our Traffic Engineering division or request additional traffic enforcement from the Sheriff's Department," the city said.
