HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A woman was struck and killed by a car Monday night while walking near the intersection of Azalea Avenue and Sandpiper Drive, near Henrico High School, authorities said.
Police identified the victim as 52-year-old Camilla Dawn Nichols, of Henrico.
"The preliminary investigation indicates Ms. Nichols was in the left westbound lane of Azalea Avenue when she was struck by a Hyundai Sonata. She was then struck by two additional vehicles," a Henrico Police spokesperson said in a Tuesday afternoon statement. "The drivers of the vehicles remained on the scene to cooperate with investigators. While this investigation remains ongoing, speed and alcohol are not factors on the part of the drivers."
Neighbors who heard about or witnessed the aftermath of the crash expressed concerns about traffic safety in the area.
"The cars, they zoom by pretty fast, especially at night. And then you’ve got Amazon right there, the morning shift, day shift, there’s just cars constantly going by, just a lot of traffic," one neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
Matt Lewis, a Meadowood resident for nearly 40 years, said the neighborhood has long been troubled by traffic issues, particularly at night.
He added that the area lacks a traffic light or a sidewalk, and the only crosswalk is frequently ignored by speeding drivers.
“This is a residential neighborhood. You’ve got a high school over there, Henrico High School is across the street. You’ve got kids crossing the street all the time, and if you’re speeding, it’s a possibility that you hit one of these kids," he said.
Members of the Meadowood Neighborhood Committee have raised these concerns with Henrico County officials multiple times.
Terrell Hughes, with Henrico Public Works, said the county is looking into options on how to improve safety in that area.
"There may be some things that can take a few years to implement, and I know that’s not exciting to hear," Hughes said. "We’re going to try to do things to advance things as quick as possible."
The county launched a study in September to determine what the area needed.
“Collecting data, getting, seeing what crash trends exist, seeing if there is an uptick in traffic, truck traffic, and then once we come up with these findings we’ll be reengaging with the community, we’re planning early next year to kind of talk through some things," he said.
Neighbors are holding a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to discuss this issue.
“I just pray for the family of that lady. Because that was a horrific thing to see,” Lewis said.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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