VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Two people are dead after a car hit them while walking across the street Thursday night. It happened off independence Boulevard, near Pembroke Shopping Center.
Dexter Payton said he saw two people crossing the street, then less than a minute later he said he heard a crash.
“In my mind, I was like, there were people right there. It was a man and a woman that was just crossing the street. They were now on the ground,” Payton said.
Virginia Beach Police said the accident happened around 9 p.m. Thursday near Pembroke Mall. Investigators said the pedestrians crossed the road in the crosswalk, but didn’t have the right-of-way. Police said as of now, the driver won’t be charged.
Payton explained, “When I walked up, the first thing he said was they came out of nowhere. That’s the first thing he said. He said, 'I didn’t see them.'”
Detectives say the couple is elderly and not from the area. They are continuing to investigate.
Local business owners nearby said people are always crossing the street in that area. They hope city leaders can make it safer.
Virginia Beach Public Works spokesperson Drew Lankford said changes can’t happen until police finish their investigation.
Lankford explained, “Whatever the police recommend. If they feel strongly that something needs us to review, we go and look at the situation. We see what happened, look at weather conditions, time of day, and all that and see if there is anything that could be done to perhaps improving it.”
Police aren’t releasing the victim’s names until their family is notified.