PETERSBURG, Va. — Following multiple fatal pedestrian accidents in Richmond in recent weeks, people in Petersburg are raising concerns about a dangerous downtown crosswalk where pedestrians are frequently hit.
The intersection of East Washington Street and South Sycamore Street has become a focal point for safety concerns due to conflicting traffic signals.
CBS 6 reached out to officials with the City of Petersburg to see if the solid green left-turn arrow could be turned off before the walk light comes on or if another solution is possible. Officials said they are now looking at ways to correct the situation.
Glenn Harris has spent four years using his battery-powered chair. He uses the crosswalk several times a week and knows firsthand how dangerous it is. He was hit twice in 2025, with both collisions knocking him and his chair over.
"I’ve been hit twice, Wayne, right here in this intersection," Harris said.
Local businessman Joe Battiston has an office near the intersection and has caught several pedestrian accidents on his surveillance cameras. He said there are two major problems at the crosswalk.
"People are running red lights here regularly," Battiston said. "They make the left turn from Washington Street onto South Sycamore and they are hitting the people. It happens quite often."
The men pointed out that the traffic signals conflict with each other.
"They have a solid green arrow light to turn and the people have a light to walk," Battiston said.
John Mason, who walks through the intersection about twice a week, agreed the lights are an issue.
"The green light is telling people to turn and that light is telling people to walk. That’s a problem," Mason said.
Harris said he experienced the conflicting lights firsthand.
"Because the walk light is on, I proceeded on and got hit," Harris said. "Knocked me over, and everybody stopped in the intersection, helped me."
During the second incident, Harris said he started crossing when there were no cars in the turn lane.
"A gentleman in the middle lane on Washington Street decided he wanted to turn left at the last minute," Harris said. "And when he turned, he wasn’t looking at the crosswalk; he was looking at that left lane. Time he looked up, it was too late."
Harris noted the city added a sign on a pole last year, but Mason said drivers do not notice it.
"No people driving, they’re not looking at that," Mason said.
To avoid getting hit, Harris now waits until the green arrow is off before crossing, so cars are not turning, which is considered jaywalking.
"It’s a whole lot safer," Mason said.
Mason also has a specific way he crosses to stay safe.
"I stand here and wait til all the cars turn first and make sure no car is turning before I cross," Mason said. "If I don’t, I’m going to get hit."
Mason said he wants to see the lights changed "before somebody gets killed."
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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