SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A woman was struck by a car in a Pacific Beach crosswalk, and witnesses said the incident is bringing renewed attention to pedestrian safety along a stretch of Garnet Avenue already marked by tragedy.
San Diego police said the woman was walking northbound in the crosswalk near 1200 Garnet Avenue around 10 p.m. on July 2 when a car heading west hit her. The driver stayed at the scene and was determined to be at fault for failing to yield. The woman was taken to the hospital and treated for abrasions.
Olga Harber was nearby when the crash happened at Tavern at the Beach.
"We were playing chess over here, and then all of a sudden we heard screaming, a loud bang, and that's when we started walking up to see what had occurred," Harber told ABC 10News.
Harber said the scene was alarming.
"All of us kind of assumed the worst because she was not moving," Harber said.
The crash unfolded directly in front of Tavern at the Beach. Employees there declined to speak on camera, but said the incident brought back painful memories.
"Now every day, they gotta watch for somebody, potentially, to get hit," Harber said.
In February, the pub lost its assistant general manager, 41-year-old Qwente Bryant, to a fatal hit-and-run two blocks away on Garnet Avenue just east of Gresham Street.
Bryant's photo remains displayed at the front door.
The driver in that case has still not been found. Police have identified a vehicle they believe is suspected in Bryant's hit-and-run — a white Mercedes SUV, possibly an GLS or GLA model, with damage to its passenger side headlight — but no arrest has been made.
Police are asking anyone with information to call them at 619-531-2000 or Crime Stoppers. A GoFundMe has been set up to support Bryant's family.
ABC 10News has covered two other tragedies in Pacific Beach since the start of the year.
In January, 6-year-old Hudson O'Loughlin was hit and killed while riding his bike. In March, a 33-year-old bicyclist died in a crash at the intersection of Fanuel Street and Grand Avenue.
Harber, who does not live in Pacific Beach, said she felt compelled to push for change in the area.
"We need a lot more than just a news coverage and I think right now it's up to us, the community here to take that action," Harber said.
She is collecting signatures on a petition and urging people to file reports through the city's Get It Done app, hoping the effort leads to traffic-calming improvements.
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