ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A West Augustine family is mourning the loss of a six-year-old who was struck and killed in a hit-and-run Monday night.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office believes they now have everyone accounted for from the crash near the intersection of King Street and Volusia Street.
The boy is clearly missed – with balloons, flowers and Cars toys set up as a memorial at the spot of the crash.
The cause of the hit-and-run is still under investigation, but some people in the neighborhood are fed up with the intersection and hope this tragedy, if nothing else, leads to change.
“When I opened the car door, I just saw the child laying in the road," said Natalya Axen, who works near where the crash happened. "I just stayed in the area I’m in now, when I saw the family running out. It was very tragic and still makes me feel sick.”
Axen can’t get the image of a six-year-old boy struck and killed out of her mind.
She says she watches the intersection of King and Volusia Streets from her food truck, and says she flinches when cars nearly crash about ten times a day.
“It needs a traffic light," said Axen. "There’s building out here, and the more they build, the more traffic there is during the school hours, and there’s nowhere for the kids to even cross the street.”
Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Advocate Heather Lane-Neville says the county has studied the corridor.
“I think we can all do a little bit better paying more attention on the road, but we can also do better building really good infrastructure to prevent these incidents wherever possible," said Lane-Neville. "Especially when it comes to children."
Lane-Neville says the Florida Department of Transportation is moving forward with a trail that will run along King Street.
“That will be a separated facility and everything that goes with it like ramps, crosswalks and additional lighting," said Lane-Neville.
Lane-Neville says that trail should be built through the Volusia Street area in 2028.
Until a light and crosswalk are put in, Axen plans on avoiding the intersection on her route to work.
“Make it safe for our kids in the community to be able to talk across the street, so something like this won’t happen again," said Axen.
A St. Johns County spokesperson says the county determined the intersection warrants a traffic light.
They're now deciding whether it will get a signal or possibly a roundabout.