CHARLOTTE — A second deadly crash has renewed calls for safety changes along a northeast Charlotte road.
Neighbors said that speeding is a problem on a stretch of The Plaza where an 18-year-old recently died in a crash.
The victim’s loved ones added a memorial where the crash happened Friday morning.
The wreck left debris, and the trees were charred where a pickup truck had caught fire.
Angela Silva said she and her daughter were asleep when they heard a loud boom Friday morning.
“I was like, ‘Whoa. That was not a gunshot.’ It sounded like an explosion,” Silva said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said they found the pickup truck that crashed into the tree on The Plaza near Aintree Road just after midnight.
The department said the driver, Jose Neptaly Lopez Rivera, died from his injuries.
Officers believe Rivera was speeding and impaired.
“There are kids that go up and down the sidewalk,” said neighbor Kristen Askey. “There are kids that play in the yard. I mean, it’s a residential area.”
Channel 9 spoke with Askey in 2023 after someone else died in a crash at the same spot next to her home.
The Charlotte Department of Transportation said it has been working to address speeding by adding more and larger speed limit signs.
They have also said there will be refreshed markings on the pavement and at school zones.
Askey said that’s not enough.
“They could put in stop lights,” she said. “They could put in stop signs. They could put in roundabouts.”
Silva said she won’t feel safe until drivers slow down.
“I get scared because I’m like, what if a car just comes and rams into my house?” she said. “I have a daughter. I’m currently pregnant.”
CDOT officials said they would conduct a field investigation once the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department finishes its report.
The department sent an email to Askey in 2023 saying there’s no need for a traffic signal based on the traffic and crash history at the location.
CDOT said adding a signal would likely increase rear crashes.
CDOT released the following statement:
“We are saddened that a life was lost and send our heartfelt condolences to the families affected and the surrounding community. CDOT is aware of speeding concerns along this segment of The Plaza and has been working to address issues through the Vision Zero program, which aims to eliminate fatal and serious injury crashes on our streets.”
CDOT stated the following safety enhancements were implemented over the last year:
- New, enlarged speed limit signage and more signage on each side of the street. In addition to informing the traveling public of the posted speed limit, these signs better equip CMPD to carry out enforcement operations.
- Improved and refreshed pavement markings for better visibility for all travelers.
- Updated school zone markings to increase visibility for potential crossings at signal.
- Driver Feedback Signs were deployed on this corridor in early 2024, giving drivers radar-based speed feedback in real time. These signs rotate around the city and will be deployed again on this street segment.
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