JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Days following the hit-and-run death of a teenage girl, people are voicing concerns about safety along the sidewalk where she was struck.
RELATED: Man arrested in connection with hit-and-run crash that killed 13-year-old girl in Arlington
Early Wednesday evening, Genesis Webber,13, of Jacksonville, was walking along the sidewalk next to Arlington Road, across the street from Crist the King Child Care Center, when she was fatally hit by a driver who left the road.
Police later arrested the driver and identified him as Andre Myers, 54, of Jacksonville. Myers was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death without rendering aid.
A flower memorial on Arlington Road marks the location where Webber took her last breath. It’s also the location where News4JAX spoke with pedestrians who frequent that sidewalk. They said at times, the sidewalk can feel unsafe to walk on because it butts right up to the roadway with only a low concrete barrier separating the two. The concrete barrier is less than a foot high.
The cars get close to the curb, and at night, I wouldn’t trust the drivers to see me,” said Azzel Rios.
“If they made the median a little higher, it might protect individuals,” said a woman who asked not to be identified.
“This little curb-bump is not saving anybody,” said another pedestrian who asked to remain anonymous.
News4JAX reached out to city councilman Ken Amaro since he represents the Arlington area. He said his office never received any complaints about the roadway or this sidewalk being dangerous.
But now that someone has lost their life at that location, it could prompt the city to look into ways to prevent another tragedy.
As for the criminal investigation into Webber’s death, it’s still unclear why the vehicle left the roadway. It’s also unclear why the driver chose to drive off without rendering aid, but one thing is clear: the low concrete barrier did not stop a vehicle from coming onto the sidewalk and fatally striking Webber.