The driver involved in a deadly pedestrian crash in Cary Wednesday has been charged after a 76-year-old woman was hit and killed while crossing Ederlee Drive.
Cary police identified the driver as Ayaz Pathan. He faces three charges in connection with the Aug. 26 crash:
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- Misdemeanor death by vehicle
- Failure to reduce speed to avoid colliding with a person
- Failure to yield to a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk
Police said Soile Lazarz, 76, was crossing Ederlee Drive at a crosswalk near Peregrine Place shortly after 7 a.m. Wednesday when she was hit by a black SUV. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver and children who were passengers in the SUV were not injured.
The crash has also renewed concerns about pedestrian safety along the increasingly busy stretch of Ederlee Drive near Symphony Lake and Koka Booth Amphitheatre.
State Rep. Julie von Haefen said Thursday she formally requested a safety review from the North Carolina Department of Transportation for the intersection of Ederlee Drive and Peregrine Place.
Von Haefen said constituents have contacted her about a history of drivers failing to yield to pedestrians in the area. She said she will continue pressing NCDOT for information about installing a safer crossing.
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.
NCDOT previously told WRAL that it is ultimately responsible for maintaining the crosswalk, although the Town of Cary has been involved in recent improvements.
The department also said plans are in place to install a pedestrian hybrid beacon at the crossing in Fall 2028, although the project could begin sooner.
Von Haefen expressed her condolences to Lazarz’s family, saying her “thoughts and prayers” are with them as they mourn her death.
