SEAFORD, Del. -- On Thursday, a serious pedestrian crash at the intersection of Bridgeville Hwy. and Virginia Ave. that left a 16-year old Seaford High School student seriously injured, raised several safety concerns and frustrations from residents and parents.
Many neighbors living along Bridgeville Hwy. say they witnessed the aftermath of the crash as police and paramedics arrived to the scene and the victim was airlifted to a local hospital.
Scarlett Wheatley, who lives on the corner of Virginia Ave. and Bridgeville Hwy., says Thursday's incident is not the first time a pedestrian's life was put in danger there.
"We've seen a lot of people get hit on bikes too because drivers don't fully stop," says Wheatly. "A lot of people honestly don't know how the stop works."
Next door neighbor Linda Monaco agrees.
"It's a mess!" says Moncao. "It's a mess. You've got too many cars. You've got an apartment building over here, you've got a road here. It's just a mess."
According to the Seaford Police Department, Bridgeville Hwy. is a state road.
This means the city is not allowed to make any traffic changes on it. The department says it has recommended The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) install a traffic light at the intersection, but have not heard anything back. A spokesperson from DelDOT tells WBOC they have not received any requests from the city.
"I've seen a lot of four-way stops coming up lately, but I'm still seeing a lot of issues at those four-way stops, because people don't understand how they work," says Wheatly. "Lights are easier to understand, and I feel it'd be better here if we had a light."
Nearby neighbor Sherian Webster says the traffic light isn't enough to save lives. She says the speed limit along Bridgeville Hwy. should be lowered, also.
"They need to lower the whole road from 45, 35, 25 to maybe 25," says Webster. "Maybe that will help some. Maybe it will get the cars to slow down."
The victim of the crash is stable at this time, according to the Seaford Police Department.
The 26-year-old driver, from Bridgeville, was reportedly uninjured and cited for Inattentive Driving and Failing to Yield the Right of Way to a Pedestrian in a Crosswalk.
