PETERSBURG, Va. β Neighbors in Petersburg are calling for action to address excessive speeding after a deadly Tesla crash highlighted ongoing safety concerns on their dead-end street.
Victoria Glazer, who has lived in the quiet neighborhood off Marshall Street in the city's Poplar Lawn Historic District for two years, said speeding down the narrow residential roads is far too common.
"I've never seen anything like this before. It's really sad," Glazer said.
The concerns came to a head Saturday morning when a Tesla crashed into a tree and caught fire during a high-speed chase, killing two people and injuring two others.
According to Colonial Heights Police, the Tesla with a driver and three passengers led police on a chase traveling down the Boulevard in Colonial Heights into Petersburg. The vehicle reached speeds over 70 mph, more than double the posted 25 and 30 mph.
The driver lost control after speeding into the residential neighborhoods on Marshall Street, resulting in the crash less than a mile from the start of the chase.
The driver and one passenger were pronounced dead at the scene. Two other people who were pulled from the wreckage are recovering at an area hospital.
Glazer heard the crash from her home and immediately knew something was wrong.
"I thought somebody hit the roundabout for the second time, but it turns out it was much worse than that," Glazer said.
WATCH: Neighbor came outside before Tesla burst into flames: 'High-speed chases end in front of my house'
The woman who lives at the home that was hit told CBS 6 that she awoke to a loud noise and assumed someone had hit the tree along the street.
"The car was lodged in between the tree and my house," the homeowner, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, recalled. "And then a few minutes later, the car burst into flames."
The woman said she thought her house would be safe.
"I thought for sure that my house wouldn't get hit, but this time this guy was going even faster," the homeowner said. "The pole right here it's been hit several times from high-speed chases."
Neighbors are now demanding that the city take action to prevent future tragedies.
"I really think the city needs to do something about this traffic way further up so that they don't come into this residential area," the homeowner said.
Colonial Heights Police requested that the Virginia State Police Crash Reconstruction Team investigate the incident.
Glazer hopes the tragedy will serve as a wake-up call about the dangers of speeding in residential areas.
"It's not worth it, guys. The city-wide speed limit is 25 mph for a reason," Glazer said. "It's for everybody's safety, not just yours, but everybody around you, too. We're a community and we need to be safe and take care of each other."
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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