UPDATE: Victims of deadly pedestrian crash identified
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A couple in their 80s died Friday night when they were struck by a vehicle while taking a walk near West Chew and North Main streets, the county coroner said.
Authorities did not identify the victims. The husband was age 83 and the wife, 80, according to Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio.
City police Capt. Kyle Pammer said the driver stopped at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.
The victims were struck about 8:20 p.m. in West End Allentown and taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest, where they were both pronounced dead shortly before 9 p.m.
“(They) have been positively identified, however my office is still attempting to locate and notify next-of-kin,” Buglio said in a Saturday morning news release.
He said his office along with the Allentown Police Department and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office are investigating.
"The investigation is still active and ongoing at this time in conjunction with the coroner’s office and district attorney's office," Pammer said.
Officers had been conducting traffic enforcement in the area where the crash occurred until about 8 p.m. Friday, he said.
The pedestrian fatalities come about 10 days after officials announced an effort to curb traffic-related fatalities in Allentown. Under the Safe Streets for All project, Allentown will try to establish a comprehensive strategy to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
Last year, more than 4,000 crashes were reported on Allentown streets, including 136 that involved pedestrians, according to city figures.
Five pedestrians were killed last year and a dozen others were seriously injured, according to city officials.
The stretch of Chew Street where Friday night's fatalities occurred is a two-lane, tree-lined street among stately homes just a few blocks from Muhlenberg College.
City Councilman Santo Napoli, who lives in the neighborhood, said raised crosswalks and other measures might serve as a deterrent to speeders.
The speed limit there is 25 mph.
He said he was having a discussion about traffic safety with other council members during a recent meeting.
"My thought process was we're having way too many of these tragedies across the city — East Side, West End, downtown," he said. "We have some work to do."
