BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston City Councilors gathered at City Hall Wednesday to discuss taking further precautions to protect pedestrians following the tragic death of a woman struck by a vehicle in the Seaport District.
Diane Ly and Warren Chang, both of California, were walking across Summer Street around 9 p.m. last week when they were struck by a white van turning into the crosswalk. Both were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.
Tragically Ly, who recently turned 30, died.
The accident sparked outrage from nearby workers, who said that intersection was an accident waiting to happen.
At that particular intersection, the walk light remains on even when the light facing Melcher Street turns green allowing traffic into the roadway while pedestrians are crossing.
Almost a week later, special councilors Ed Flynn and Kim Janey called a special hearing to look into this issue.
“I don’t like the fact that at times, there are signals across the city where a pedestrian can walk across the street in a crosswalk and the vehicle can go at the same time,” Councilor Ed Flynn said in the hearing.
City officials said there are several intersections around Boston with that same traffic signal pattern.
Flynn said that needs to be changed.
“We need to change the timing of the lights to make sure that the city is as safe as possible,” he said outside the hearing.
In the meantime, a friend of the victims said Chang has just undergone his second surgery at Tufts Medical Center.
He was able to watch his girlfriend’s funeral in California Wednesday via FaceTime.
The city council has agreed to hold a hearing in a couple of months on changing the signal patterns.
The friends and family of the two victims said the just want to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.
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