Corolla, N.C. - Many already consider the stretch of NC-12 in Corolla to be no-man’s land.
“In some areas, it’s only a few inches wide. No safe places to ride or to walk,” says Chris Wested.
The safety concerns are now amplified by the deaths of Wesley and Elizabeth Martin, a couple from Pennsylvania run over while walking to the beach to meet their four children.
Police arrested the driver, 50-year-old Troy Bowman from Ashburn, Virginia. They say he fell asleep.
Currituck County has been actively working towards building more pedestrians and bike paths throughout Corolla.
But Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Paul O’Neill says they started from the north end of town, working their way south and have yet to get to the stretch of NC-12 where the Martins were killed.
“Our staff is bringing us a plan on the 19th of August where we can hopefully finish this one part where the tragedy happened,” O’Neill says.
Corolla is not the only town in the Outer Banks looking at this issue.
The town of Duck is beginning their first ever pedestrian study tomorrow, to see what can be done to enhance safety in the commercial area, since there is not a dedicated walking/biking lane separate from N.C. 12 that goes all the way through town.
Dare County is also building sidewalks right now on Hatteras Island, and commissioners there say they hope to build a bike/walking path in Nags Head next, when they can come up with the funding.
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