New traffic control measures didn't come soon enough to prevent fatal crash: councillor

A 71-year-old man was struck by a vehicle and killed while using a southeast Edmonton marked crosswalk Tuesday morning, police say.

The pedestrian was walking west across 17 Street at 19 Avenue when he was hit by a northbound Ford F-350 truck around 6:30 a.m.

He died at the scene.

The 57-year-old truck driver stayed at the scene. He was not hurt.

When CTV News Edmonton arrived, a dark-coloured truck was parked in the middle of the roadway, near what appeared to be a body covered by a tarp. Debris was scattered on the street.

The intersection was closed for several hours while the Edmonton Police Service's major collisions team investigated.

No charges were announced Tuesday.

Coun. Jo-Anne Wright represents the ward where the crash happened.

She says concerns have been raised about the crosswalk a number of times.

"We did have that intersection at 17 Street and Aster Boulevard as well as 17 Street and I think 16 Avenue were on the priority list for the safe crossings to have a signalization or some type of warning system put in place there," Wright told CTV News on Tuesday afternoon. "One was supposed to be for this year and the other for 2024."

"I guess it wasn't soon enough, and I'm sorry for that."

Wright says she also has concerns about drivers speeding in the area.

"People coming right off the Henday that are used to doing 100 or 110 kilometres per hour and then having to slow down to 60 km/h on 17 Street," she said.

"The city is limited in what we can do to try to deter some of that speeding. There's been a moratorium placed on new automated traffic enforcement locations pending a safety review."

Wright says the moratorium was implemented in 2019, adding she's been in touch with the provincial transportation minister to find out when the review will be completed. 

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Evan Kenny