PLEASANTVILLE — A 6-year-old boy was struck and killed Sunday night on the Black Horse Pike in Pleasantville, a tragedy that comes as the city has been examining ways to reduce serious and fatal crashes and improve pedestrian safety.
The crash occurred at about 9:30 p.m. near the intersection of the Black Horse Pike, also known as Routes 40/322, and Noahs Road.
According to Pleasantville police, the child entered the roadway and was struck by a vehicle traveling westbound.
The boy suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police have not released the child's identity.
The driver, identified by police as 31-year-old Antonio Bautista-Luis of Pleasantville, remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Witnesses also remained and spoke with police.
No charges have been announced.
Police have not said why the child entered the roadway or whether speed, impairment, visibility or any other factor contributed to the crash. The circumstances remain under investigation.
The death puts renewed attention on pedestrian safety along one of Pleasantville's busiest traffic corridors.
Pleasantville has been studying roadway safety
Earlier this year, Pleasantville completed a Safe Streets and Roads for All Action Plan aimed at identifying locations and strategies that could reduce fatal and serious-injury crashes throughout the city.
The plan was developed using crash data as well as feedback from residents about locations they considered dangerous.
During the public-input process, residents raised concerns about conditions along the Black Horse Pike and other heavily traveled roads, including issues involving pedestrians, traffic speeds and motorists yielding to people crossing streets.
The city's safety effort examined potential improvements including crosswalks, lighting, traffic calming, intersection changes and other measures intended to protect pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.
The plan ultimately identified a series of priority projects throughout Pleasantville, with improvements proposed over a period of years and potential funding coming from municipal, county and state transportation sources.
There has been no finding that roadway design or any condition identified in the city's safety study contributed to Sunday's crash.
Police have released only limited information about what occurred immediately before the boy entered the Black Horse Pike.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities said additional information will be released when appropriate.
About the Author
Karen Johnson
With over 30 years of news experience in major markets like Los Angeles, Denver, and Columbus, Karen now covers our area for South Jersey NewsBeat. She also brings her articulate and conversational news delivery to WOND radio listeners every weekday. Her background includes work with the NBC Radio Network, and she thrives in fast-paced news environments.
