ST. LOUIS — St. Louis police are searching for the person who hit a man crossing the street in front of Crown Candy Kitchen.
Police said at about 5 p.m. Tuesday, a dark-colored car drove through the crosswalk at 14th Street and St. Louis Avenue when a 71-year-old man was crossing the street.
The incident was caught on Crown Candy Kitchen’s surveillance video.
“He was coming across the street and a lady in a car apparently just decided she wasn't going to stop. I don't know if the sun was in her eyes ... I don't know ... she wasn't paying attention, but she just pretty much hit them and knocked him down," Andy Karandzieff, the restaurant owner, said. "Then she backed up and drove by and said, 'I'm sorry,' and kept right on going."
Karandzieff said he watches people blow through the nearby four-way stop on a daily basis.
“All the time. I mean, somebody just blew through the stop sign right now, as I'm talking to you, it's a daily occurrence and I don't know what to say. How do we fix this? he asked. "You know, the police can't be here 24/ 7."
This problem is not unique to his neighborhood because similar driving behavior is happening all over the city.
“St. Louis has a culture of not stopping all the way at stop signs and even at red lights ... continuing to blow past them because they may be in a hurry. We have a high rate of fatalities due to that,” St. Louis 14th Ward Alderman Rasheen Aldridge said.
Aldridge said a bill has been approved to put speed humps near the four-way stop. It still needs to be signed by the mayor.
“I've got word from the [St. Louis] City Street Department that speed humps in that area will be installed [this] spring. Hopefully, with those speed humps, we can get to some type of solution to try to slow people down in that area and various parts of the 14th Ward as well,” Aldridge said.
While Aldridge said he's hopeful these traffic calming measures will help, Karandzieff said he wants drivers to do the right thing so this doesn’t happen to anyone else.
“He's lucky to be alive. I mean thankfully it wasn't as bad as it looks, but he still went to the hospital and he's still going to have to see a doctor about his knee,” Karandzieff said.
Aldridge said the top priorities of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen are to expedite traffic calming measures and take action to hold people accountable.
“We're also working on legislation to bring back cameras that will not just be red light cameras, but it also is speeding enforcement,” Aldridge said.
If you have any information about what happened or recognize the vehicle you’re asked to call St. Louis police or remain anonymous by calling CrimeStoppers at 1 (866) 371-8477.