Residents on Madison’s north side are expressing urgent concerns for road safety following a tragic incident in which a woman was struck and killed by a vehicle while crossing the road on Monday. The collision occurred on Packers Avenue, prompting local calls for increased safety measures in the area.
Sati Xiong, a neighbor who lives close to where the collision took place, identified the victim as his neighbor. He emphasized that this incident is not an isolated case, recalling that others have been injured or killed in the same vicinity. “Unless you use the crosswalk where there are the lights that are flashing, the cars will not stop for you,” he remarked, highlighting a growing frustration regarding driver behavior.
Data from the City of Madison indicates that Packers Avenue sees an average of over 16,000 vehicles each weekday, contributing to the dangers faced by pedestrians. The emotional impact of such accidents is deeply felt by the community, as Xiong reflected on the personal toll: “I’ve had family members that have passed away from car accidents. [The victim] has a granddaughter and she has grandkids that she will never see again or they just didn’t know that the last time they said bye to her would be the last.”
Another nearby resident, Cole Olson, who also heard the crash, noted the alarming speed at which drivers travel on Packers Avenue. “It’s insane, people always are flying through here,” he stated. Both Xiong and Olson pointed to distractions, particularly from mobile phones, as contributing factors to these dangerous situations. “I think it’s a lack of attention from people and people playing on their phones,” Olson added.
To enhance safety, Olson suggested that better lighting could be implemented in the area, alongside advocacy for drivers to reduce distractions while behind the wheel. “When you’re driving, you got to make sure, because you got to keep yourself safe and you got to keep the people that’s driving around you safe,” Xiong added, calling for a collective effort to improve road safety.
Madison Police have stated that they will provide further information regarding the incident, although it remains unclear if the victim was in a crosswalk or if driver distraction was a factor. As the community processes this tragedy, it continues to seek meaningful changes to prevent future accidents and improve the safety of their streets.