Deadly Redmond hit-and-run raises Sixth Street safety concerns

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Last Friday evening, Redmond police say 90-year-old resident Leroy Hall was struck and killed by two vehicles while attempting to cross Northwest Sixth Street in Redmond.

Now, some residents frustrated by long-time safety concerns are asking for crosswalks.

Hall was making a quick trip to the Buggy Stop from his manufactured home across the street.

Henry Helmholtz of Redmond, a family friend of Hall, said Monday he would occasionally visit to check in on him.

With the death of his friend, he's now raising his concern with this stretch of highway, more than ever.

“My biggest concern is this stretch of highway from Maple Street, which goes to Walmart, down to the post office, has no crosswalks," Helmholtz said.

Helmholtz said he's seen the growth in this part of town, but he's never seen anything done to increase pedestrian safety.

Helmholtz told NewsChannel 21 he has personally known three people who have died on this stretch of road.

He said if you're looking to get from store to store, and you live nearby, crossing the road can be a dangerous effort.

With more businesses, apartments and motels in place, he believes the city needs to address the lack of crosswalks.

“They need to open up a crosswalk or a light, because most of the people that live in this mobile home park are on foot," Helmholtz said. "Most of them are elderly, handicapped, and of course you’ve got children that cross, and that’s even worse."

NewsChannel 21 spoke with Redmond City Engineer Mike Caccavano to see if the city plans on doing anything to address these concerns.

"We do have plans to make this a more pedestrian-accessible area," Caccavano said. "One is to extend sidewalks from Jackpine all the way up to Maple, and the other is to put in a traffic light on Kingwood and Sixth."

But Caccavano said with the road being five lanes, it makes the possibility of a crosswalk more difficult.

He added that although they are not expensive to build, they are not nearly as effective as traffic lights, especially if pedestrians are wearing dark clothing.