ROANOKE, Va. – A Christmas Eve crash has a man in Roanoke city calling on officials to improve street safety.
Luke Priddy was not home Christmas Eve when this car came barreling into the gate outside his home.
“I had just replaced the batteries my cameras recently and went and saw that there have been a hit and run on the street,” Roanoke Resident Luke Priddy said.
In video caught by security cameras, you can see the car go over the sidewalk and slam into the gate on 5th St. SW between Campbell and Rorer Ave. Just a short time later, more security video shows someone getting out of the car and going to pick up what seems to be the car’s bumper.
Cars are death machines. At 5:34 pm on Christmas Eve, my front door experienced a hit and run on 5th St. SW, between Campbell and Rorer Avenue.
— Luke Priddy (@lukepriddyva) December 25, 2021
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“I’d like to see something done but I want to be realistic,” Priddy said.
Linda Pierson was walking home from her job back in 2019 when she was struck and killed at the intersection of 5th St. and Campbell.
“Since then, I really haven’t seen any changes I have lived in this apartment for four years now and the traffic lines haven’t changed, eight lines traffic mitigation issues is really a lead in see right now traffic continues to go rather fast down this corridor,” Priddy said.
Priddy says he knows change can’t always happen quickly, but he hopes his neighborhood can soon be a place where everyone feels safe.
“At some point, I plan a meeting with the city soon to discuss what possible solutions there might be and I know nothing’s going to change overnight but there has to be changed on the street,” Priddy said.
Roanoke City police still haven’t caught the driver of the car, but are asking the public to call them if they recognize this car or person.