HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Hermitage High School announced Monday that Nathaniel Clark, a 10th-grade student, was the teenager who was killed while crossing Staples Mill Road on Sunday night.
"It is with a heavy heart that I am reaching out to you about a loss to our Panther community. With permission from his family, I am writing to inform you that one of our 10th-grade students, Nathaniel Clark, passed away in a tragic accident Sunday night," Principal Dr. Michael A. Jackson wrote in an email to the community. "In times like these, we are naturally reminded of the importance of community. We want to wrap our arms around the young man’s family as they cope with their profound loss. Signing this virtual sympathy card allows our students, families, and staff to share their condolences while also respecting the family’s privacy. We will deliver the card and other remembrances to the family in a few days. In closing, I want to express my gratitude for the compassion and kindness I witnessed in our hallways and classrooms today. I am comforted to know that we can lean on one another for strength."
The driver who hit and killed Clark on Sunday night stopped at the scene of the crash and was cooperative with police.
The same can be said for the driver who hit and killed Barbara J. Royster earlier Sunday evening in Chesterfield County.
Royster, 68, of Alfalfa Lane, was killed about half a mile from her home as she crossed Route 1.
Anuart Rubio, who grew up near the Chesterfield crash site, said the lack of sidewalks and crosswalks has long been a concern. There are no sidewalks in the area of the crash, and signs indicate that the nearest marked crosswalk was a mile north.
A well-trod strip of grass, known as a desire path, crosses the median between the housing on the east side and the Dollar General on the west.
"I think it's more concerning for the elderly and children because we definitely see families with kids crossing the road," Rubio said.
Chesterfield County completed a Pedestrian Crossing Safety Study of the Route 1 corridor this summer and is waiting for state approval of the report so they can begin working on what and where to focus first. Rubio said he would like to see more and safer sidewalks on his stretch of Route 1.
While this is not the only potential fix to the deadly problem, Henrico Police Assistant Chief Lauren Edwards said they wanted people to know about their free reflective vest program for pedestrians.
"If there is a sidewalk, obviously use it. If that infrastructure is not yet in place, then make sure you are using parking lots along the side of the roadways instead of walking in the roadways," she said.
Edwards also emphasized that it is important for drivers to limit distractions, keep their headlights on, and always scan the road for pedestrians.
"We all have to work together to decrease these types of incidents so that we do not have to continue having these conversations," she said.
Henrico Police stated that anyone who wants a reflective vest can pick one up at Henrico Public Safety Buildings, government buildings, and public libraries.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
