CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Family and friends are remembering Diane Babinec, described as the ultimate Carolina Panthers fan. She was hit as she and her husband crossed the street at the intersection of Morehead and Mint in Uptown during Sunday’s game.
Diane died at the hospital.
One week before, a bicyclist was struck a few blocks down. He too died from his injuries.
The city of Charlotte is now on track to set a record for the most pedestrian vehicle fatalities in its history. So far this year, 27 people have died in related incidents -- 27 people were killed in the entire year of 2017.
"What’s really needed is for more safe pedestrian infrastructure to be funded and built as quickly as possible,” said Sustain Charlotte Program Director Meg Fencil.
On November 26, city leaders started to put plans in motion, reducing speed limits on neighborhood streets to 25 miles per hour.
The city has also committed to the Vision Zero initiative, which sets an ambitious goal of zero traffic related fatalities by the year 2030. They plan to accomplish this by adding crosswalks and pedestrian lanes, redesigning streets and studying drivers behavior.
“It really began with the idea if streets are well designed then accidents don’t happen,” Fencil explained.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, three quarters of fatalities happen at night.
