Within two weeks of local residents holding a protest at the site of a hit-and-run accident that left a teen boy severely injured, the city has installed a “safer” crosswalk at the corner of Orme Avenue and Whittier Boulevard.
On April 14, Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) began the process of installing a flashing light system at the intersection that alerts drivers when pedestrians are on the crosswalk. The project was completed on April 18.
An Instagram story by the group Safe Whittier Blvd, one of the participants in the protest, showed crews working on the installation of solar panels on the South side of Whittier Blvd. In the story, an unidentified LADOT worker says that wireless solar-powered Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) are being installed in response to community activism.
According to a 2018 report by the US Department of Transportation, lit crosswalks can help reduce pedestrian crashes by around 47%.
On March 30, 13-year-old Joshua Mora was on the Orme crosswalk when a speeding motorcyclist struck him and severed his right leg. Surveillance video shows the driver, who was knocked off his motorcycle from the impact, jumping back on his motorcycle and speeding off without offering assistance to the victim.
The suspect, identified by police as 29-year-old Erwin Majano, was arrested on April 11 in Banning. The Banning resident was charged with a felony hit-and-run.
Tthe Los Angeles Police Department provided the following details on Majano’s arrest by the Banning Police Department:
Police said Majano was released after posting a $50,000 bail. His court date is set for May 2.
This post was updated on April 25th to add information on the crosswalk’s completion.
