RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The tragic death of a VCU student who was hit and killed while going home is sparking renewed conversation for change now that the university as seen multiple pedestrian crashes on campus this year alone.
Richmond police officers responded to West Main Street shortly before 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 4. According to police, two cars collided on West Main Street and one car left the road and hit a pedestrian, identified as 26-year-old VCU student Shawn Soares. Soares died from his injuries at the scene.
On Friday, loved ones laid flowers on the corner of West Main and South Madison Street in memory of Soares. Some on campus described him as a “rising star” who worked at the Virginia Conservation Network.
Friends shared that he was working to make roads safer after seeing a number of crashes in the city, but after he lost his life to the same cause he was working to improve, loved ones are hoping this serves as a wake up call.
“It’s so hurtful to know that he was on his way back from class and he is just now gone because we can’t get a grip on reducing speed limits and increasing pedestrian safety in this city,” Soares’ friend Maryn Campbell said.
Soares is not the only pedestrian to fall victim to a crash in the VCU area this year. On Jan. 27, VCU student Mahrokh Khan was killed after being hit by a car while crossing the street at Laurel and West Main Streets.
For Wyatt Gordon, Soares’ co-worker, unsafe driving in the city has already taken too many innocent lives.
“It’s not some type of magic or formula,” Gordon said. “We know what’s wrong and we are choosing not to fix it. And we are losing fantastic people like Shawn in the process.”
This year, VCU Police tried crack town on road safety by ticketing drivers who were speeding, disregarding traffic signs and failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. But Christian Schick with “Strong Towns Richmond” is worried these enforcement efforts aren’t enough.
“Enforcement is always good,” Schick said. “Enforcement can only go so far though.”
Strong Towns Richmond assisted in a traffic analysis after the death of Khan. When they looked at the intersection of West Main and Laurel Streets, they found speeding to be the main cause of these kinds of crashes.
To slow drivers down, Strong Towns Richmond suggests infrastructure changes such as implementing concrete barriers, increasing visibility and changing Main and Cary Streets from two one-way streets to two two-way streets.
Schick adds while infrastructure changes are important, changing driving culture around the city is key to saving lives.
“It starts with drivers, and there is almost nothing that even infrastructure can do to change a culture that emphasizes driving over safety,” Schick said.
In an email to students announcing Soares’ death, the university president Michael Rao said it is clear that major change is needed to the area’s streets and sidewalks. He also said the university is 100% committed to partnering with the City of Richmond to make improvements.
