VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A man is in the hospital after being hit by a vehicle on Wednesday.
According to Virginia Beach police, the accident happened in the 3600 block of Shore Drive at about 9:17 p.m.
The accident happened right in front of Froggie’s Smoke Tap House. Now, restaurant staff on both sides of this block want immediate changes from the city.
Froggie’s Smoke Tap House Kitchen Manager Christopher Smith said the man involved in the accident is his coworker.
“Great guy, great worker,” Smith said. “He’s a brand-new father.”
Smith said the coworker was crossing Shore Drive, coming from Bucketheads Beach Grill across the street.
"You have a lot of incidents that happen here,” Smith said. “There's a cross across the street from an incident that happened previously."
He said his block of Shore Drive isn't safe for pedestrians.
“The lighting is a huge problem,” Smith said. “You can see a lot of power lines, but you don't see too many lights out here."
The nearest crosswalks are a few blocks in each direction of both restaurants.
"We’ve been begging and begging and begging to put a crosswalk right here,” said Bucketheads Beach Grill Owner John Murray.
Murray said beachgoers are always crossing the busy road.
"You unfortunately have two beach accesses,” Murray said, pointing to two streets adjacent to the restaurants.
Murray said he has asked the city for closer crosswalks.
"In the day, maybe that's a bit better of a situation,” Murray said. “But at night, it's dark over here."
Virginia Beach Police said the speed limit was lowered 10 years ago on parts of Shore Drive.
"Reduced from 45 miles per hour to 35 miles per hour,” said Master Police Officer J. R. Ford.
Ford is on VBPD’s Fatal Crash Team. He said there have been 12 fatal and 24 serious injury crashes this year, citywide.
Smith and Murray are determined to stop the cycle.
"We have contacted the city and we are going to do it again, because this is serious,” Smith said.
“It happened to somebody we know,” Murray said. “It’s going to keep happening if the city doesn’t do something about it.”
Smith said that his coworker is in the Intensive Care Unit.
Virginia Beach Department of Public Works spokesperson Drew Lankford said there are traffic improvements on the way to Shore Drive.
Lankford said a huge road and stormwater project was recently approved. He said that plan involves work on a large part of Shore Drive, adding additional lighting and crosswalks.
He wasn’t sure about the exact date when improvements will be in place.