‘I don’t want to see another death here’: Mill Woods resident on changes to intersection

It’s a southeast Edmonton intersection that’s seen two pedestrians killed just in the past few months and now, steps have been taken to make the corner of 48 Street and Mill Woods Road safer for people on foot.

On June 20, 73-year-old Ajaib Singh Grewal died after police alleged he was hit by an SUV. The driver has since been been charged in connection with the pedestrian’s death.

On April 7, a 69-year-old man died from injuries he sustained when he was hit by a van crossing the street at the same intersection. Police have also since charged a man in connection with that fatality.

Zebra lines were recently added after the city completed a review of the intersection which is standard protocol in incidents in which someone is killed. The city also examined the unusually high number of injury collisions at the intersection and looked at population growth when deciding what increased safety measures were needed.

However, some residents told Global News the new zebra lines don’t go far enough to protect people crossing the street.

“People – they know that it’s a four-way stop and I don’t think it’s (zebra lines) going to make much of a difference without having a set of lights here,” Trista Vandersluis, who lives in the area, said. “I won’t let the kids cross or anything without me right there.”

“I walk my dog and sometimes I’ll pick him up and carry him across for safety,” Colleen Kolkea, who also lives in the area, said.

“It’s a speedway down here -people speeding through, not stopping, distracted drivers -they’re on their cellphones,” Kolkea added. “I don’t want to see another death here.”

WATCH: Parents of Edmonton pedestrian killed in crosswalk push for safer streets

While time will tell what impact the zebra lines will have on pedestrian safety at the intersection, the city said it expects the new measures to help.

“The reflective properties of the stripes allow both the pedestrian to see and work within that safety zone as well as the reflection for the drivers to see that somebody is in that zone as well,” Gerry Shimko, with the City of Edmonton’s Office of Traffic Safety, said.

The city is also considering the addition of reflective poles on stop signs at the intersection.

-with files from Shallima Maharaj