Cary leaders have approved a temporary flashing pedestrian sign for a crosswalk near Koka Booth Amphitheatre just weeks after a 76-year-old woman was hit and killed while crossing the street.
On Monday night, Cary Town Council authorized the installation of a pedestrian crossing sign with flashing beacon at the Ederlee Drive crosswalk near Peregrine Place, close to the Regency Parkway intersection.
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The move follows a recommendation from the North Carolina Department of Transportation after Soile Lazarz, 76, was hit by a black SUV around 7 a.m. on Aug. 26. The driver was charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle, failure to reduce speed, and failure to yield to a pedestrian.
The NCDOT approved funding for a permanent pedestrian hybrid beacon, which is similar to a traffic light, although construction on the permanent fixture is not expected to begin until 2028.
Neighbors of Lazarz previously told WRAL they had filed complaints with NCDOT and the town of Cary about the crosswalk for years. They said existing signs did not do enough to alert drivers to pedestrians crossing the road.