ENCINITAS, Calif. (KGTV) — Flowers, cards and pictures still line the sidewalk at Encinitas Boulevard and Village Square Drive, more than a year after 12-year-old Emery Chalekian was struck and killed there.
On April 25, 2025, Emery was crossing the street to her ballet studio when 44-year-old driver Eddie Segendo allegedly ran a red light and struck her.
The memorial remains, but the safety changes the community has been demanding, including red light cameras at that intersection, have not yet been implemented.
Laura Van Dusen and Melissa Scharbarth have spent more than a year advocating for SB 720, the Safer Streets Program, which would bring red light cameras back to Encinitas. The program would differ from the one discontinued in 2020, featuring lower citations and a focus on license plate readers rather than facial recognition.
"It actually feels surreal," Van Dusen said. "I'm standing here, and I don't have much to say for end results or action items that we have been able to advocate and achieve."
Van Dusen said the Mobility and Traffic Safety Commission voted in February to recommend red light cameras to the city council, but four months passed without the item appearing on a council agenda.
"I don't want to misspeak, but I feel like it's been at least one year we've been advocating for it, and the Mobility and Traffic Safety Commission in February voted to recommend red light cameras to city council, and so four months have passed, and Safe Streets Encinitas has spoken at the last two city council meetings during oral communications asking when we can expect to see this on an agenda," Van Dusen said.
During a special city council meeting, the issue was raised directly.
After back-and-forth at the meeting, I took the community's concerns directly to the city of Encinitas. The city confirmed that direction was given to staff to agendize an item to discuss red light cameras immediately after the July break.
Scharbarth said the news was welcome.
"That is exciting news to hear," Scharbarth said.
Scharbarth reflected on who Emery was and what her legacy means to the effort.
"Emery lived her life in just this free spirit, this jolly good old time, but she herself was a person who gave her everything to anybody who needed it. So I think she would be really proud and really honored to know that through her memory we're making changes," Scharbarth said.
Van Dusen said the fight has had a lasting impact on everyone involved.
"It's changed a lot of people in the community, including myself, and I would say that's where it started," Van Dusen said.
Encinitas City Council resumes on the 2nd Wednesday in August, following its July break.
