Calls to make safety improvements at dangerous Santa Clara crosswalk

Loved ones of pedestrians hit and killed at a dangerous crosswalk in Santa Clara, rallied to demand the city make improvements. It's located on Kiely Boulevard at Malabar right by the auto dealerships on Stevens Creek Boulevard.

Thursday will mark one year since a Mini Cooper employee was severely injured using the crosswalk. Six months prior, a beloved grandmother was killed in the same crosswalk.

Caycee Peters is describing markings left at the intersection of Kiely and Malabar in Santa Clara. It's where her 71-year-old mother was killed May of last year. She was hit by a car while in the crosswalk at night on her way to the store.

"She's my best friend and I loved her more than anything," said Peters.

Six months later, last December, 64-year-old Pete Smee was using the same crosswalk. The Mini Cooper employee was struck by a speeding car. Jennifer Fick is his co-worker sand said he barely survived.

"His carotid was torn, every bone on the right side of his body, his pelvis was shattered, every bone in his face was shattered," said Flick.

In both cases, the drivers stopped. It's unclear if they saw the victims. Loved ones hold the City of Santa Clara partly to blame given the crosswalk at this busy street is hard to see. They put up their own lights and held up signs to raise awareness.

"I don't understand why my city is not stepping in and making improvements to a crosswalk that has been proven unsafe," said Flick.
                               
They'd like to see blinking lights like these installed. In reaching out to the City of Santa Clara, KTVU was told by the city attorney's office the city has "no comment" pending litigation.

"It would be really devastating if somebody else were to be hit while the city is being sued," said Flick.
               
"I would like to see it lit up like a football field," said Peters.

Caycee Peters keeps a photo album titled "mom" on her phone. She hopes the city takes action before another person is killed.

"What happened to my mother, the trauma the injury she went through," said Peters. "We couldn't even say goodbye."