INDIANAPOLIS — Pedestrians and advocates are sounding the alarm with concerns over an intersection that has already been the site of a deadly hit-and-run.
Brandon Breedlove, 27, was hit and killed at the corner of College and Mass Ave. Two others were hit at the same time, but they survived.
While police have said they believe alcohol played a role in the crash, many people say the incident paints a bigger issue of a problem at the scene.
"It has the potential to be a death trap," Cyclist Mark Satterly said.
Satterly says he is concerned about the lack of barriers at the intersection.
"Maybe people are confused but you should have signage that's better," Satterly said.
College Avenue has long been a one-way between St. Clair and Market Streets, but that has since changed.
Its all part of the city's initiative to make Indianapolis a "safer place for pedestrians."
RELATED: Next phase of one-way to two-way conversion started but not everyone is on baord (wrtv.com)
It's a move that is welcomed by many, but the change sparked those new fears from pedestrians.
"If a couple of hard concrete bollards had been there, Brandon would still be alive today most likely," Eric Holt said.
Holt runs "Indy Pedestrian Safety Crisis," a non-profit that works to raise awareness of pedestrian issues in the city.
He believes that more needs to be done to harden the infrastructure to protect pedestrians, especially on one to two-way conversion.
"The fact that we are seeing these things but the professionals, the actual engineers, aren't or aren't pushing for these extra enhancements is clearly a problem," Holt said.
Holt isn't alone in his feelings. Urban planner and cyclist Jeffery Tompkins warned about the same concerns in a social media post back in February.
Tompkins said bollards need to be placed at the corner.
"I know this might be a little bit of overhead that isn't budgeted, however, at what cost is a human life worth," Tompkins said.
After Saturday, Tompkins took to social media again, saying he hated to see this coming.
Some people took matters in to their own hands. WRTV crews were at the scene when a man placed a cone at the intersection, citing the area as "deadly."
While it can be confusing to navigate the new transition, people hope a more permanent solution is put into place.
"Hopefully the city will do something about that," Satterly said.
WRTV did reach out to DPW for a comment regarding the concerns. They provided the following statement:
Indy DPW leadership has been actively engaged with both concerned residents and organizations following the recent fatal crash.
On Monday morning, a team from our senior staff, including both the director and the deputy director of engineering, visited the site of the crash. Per ordinance, the Fatal Crash Review Team will thoroughly review the circumstances surrounding the crash and will put together recommendations for potential improvements following the submission of the crash report from IMPD. Additionally, Indy DPW is working with the city-county council to expand the scope of the Fatal Crash Review Team.
