SAN ANTONIO – After a San Antonio woman was hit and killed while trying to cross the street, her husband is sharing her story in the hopes that it never happens again.
“It’s still so surreal to wake up and not see her,” Oscar Villarreal said.
Josefina Morales Villarreal, 63, died last Wednesday after being hit by a car on Roosevelt Avenue. She was a mother and a grandmother, and she’s not the first person to die in a crash like this on Roosevelt, between Loop 410 and Sava Street.
“It’s dangerous,” Oscar Villarreal said. “She was coming back home from the Dollar General ... and the worst scenario came true.”
KSAT first reported what happened on the day of the crash. On Wednesday, KSAT reported on the woman who has handmade dozens of crosses marking traffic fatalities on this stretch of Roosevelt.
Oscar Villarreal told KSAT on Friday that Josefina’s dad died where one of those other crosses stands.
“He was hit on this road too,” Oscar Villarreal said. “There is no crosswalk marked (here). There are no lights. There is nothing.”
After the death of his wife and numerous other people he knew, Oscar Villarreal is calling on the state, city and community for help.
“My wife’s death has to have a meaning,” he said. “Before it happens to somebody else.”
KSAT confirmed with the Texas Department of Transportation this week that the Roosevelt safety improvement project between Loop 410 and Sava Street was 64% complete.
This part of Roosevelt falls in San Antonio’s District 3, represented by Phyllis Viagran. Her office sent the following statement to KSAT on Friday:
“Enhancing pedestrian safety measures and ongoing coordination with relevant departments is a priority. Our office is actively reviewing past programs, including Vision Zero, to evaluate their effectiveness and plans to unveil new initiatives in the upcoming year. We continue working closely with the transportation department to ensure these efforts are well-coordinated and impactful. The goal is to keep all stakeholders alert and engaged in improving pedestrian safety in the community.”
More coverage of this story on KSAT.com: