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Pedestrian Crosswalk Deaths On The Rise In Sacramento

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Lives have been lost and families torn apart. Now there's a push to make crosswalks in Sacramento safer.

A recent rash of pedestrians getting hit by cars has cops asking everyone to be cautious. The worry is that these pedestrians are being hit in crosswalks.

"It's too late. It's too late, something should have been done," said Mary Murigi.

The sorrow, pain, and frustration are still fresh for Mary Murigi whose 16-year-old daughter, Michelle, was killed in a crosswalk last month while walking home from school.

"There was no reason at all for this to happen, it's a crosswalk," said Mary.

Now exactly one month later, police are investigating another pedestrian run over in a crosswalk. On Sunday a 45-year-old man was critically injured walking across Stockton Boulevard. The driver did not stop.

"Sacramento, like all cities, needs to do more," said Terry Peterson with the group Walk Sacramento.

The recent tragedies have pedestrian advocates calling for change. Police conduct periodic crosswalk stings, citing drivers who do not stop. But Terry says that's not enough.

"Our roads lack sidewalks, crosswalks, adequate treatments going back to the issue of Michelle. What can you do to slow down speed? Speed kills," said Terry.

And beyond education, walking advocates say it's really things like marked crosswalks with a button signaling cars to stop. In response, city leaders are creating a task force to make Sacramento more walkable. So far, there are no firm plans in place.

Mary is now hoping her daughter's death will help remind people to slow down, and hopes it will force politicians to focus on preventing another needless tragedy.

"Did she have to die for it to be a wake up call? She did not," said Mary.

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