INDIANAPOLIS — Police are investigating what led up to a woman being hit and killed by a car on the city’s southeast side this morning.
IMPD said a woman was hit crossing Raymond St. from Churchman Ave. just before 6 a.m. Monday. The driver who hit the woman stayed on scene and police do not believe alcohol was involved.
People we talked to driving or doing business in the area said the intersection is a dangerous one with speeding and jaywalking issues.
”This intersection is horrible, there are wrecks all the time, people running the lights,” said Robert Goings.
Goings owns a car audio shop right on the intersection of Raymond and Churchman. He said he has had a front-row seat to the problems for the last two years.
”They run this light every day, if you guys stay out here long enough you’ll catch it,” Goings said, talking about drivers speeding past on Raymond.
There is a crosswalk going on Raymond St., but Goings said people crossing rarely wait their turn.
”It’s always busy down here and if they don’t wait for the lights then they’re running through traffic,” Goings said.
He said it gets especially busy after school lets out and kids are crossing Raymond Street.
”We’ve yelled at the kids a few times because they’ll just run across the street when there are cars coming,” Goings said.
IMPD said drivers and pedestrians both need to be more cautious.
”Just because the sign says that you can walk, take a second, look back, look to make sure the cars are seeing you,” said IMPD Sgt. Genae Cook.
Cook said less daylight equals more dangerous conditions out on the road, meaning drivers need to be extra vigilant.
”Be more cautious,” she said. “Be aware that people are still on the same routes home, but now we don’t have lighting to assist us.”
This was the 36th fatal crash involving a pedestrian in Indianapolis this year. In 2022, there have been 273 pedestrian crashes in total.
Cook said people got more comfortable during the pandemic when there were fewer drivers on the road and fewer people outside.
“They drove a little bit faster, they drove a little bit more recklessly,” Cook said. “Now it’s time to remember there are more people out on the street, you have to take that extra moment to be cautious.”
Goings said he hopes this is a message to people to watch out in this area.
”Slow down and be cautious, there’s kids that run around out here, other pedestrians and watch the lights because they’re running them all day,” he said.
The woman killed Monday morning has not yet been identified by the Marion County Coroner’s Office.
