CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Neighbors are raising safety concerns about speeding on Johnstown Road in Chesapeake following the death of a Suffolk man who was killed while working there last week.
Guadalupe Rivera, 60, was killed while landscaping on Johnstown Road. Chesapeake police said high speed was a factor in the crash.
"He was a great person. He was always kind to everybody. You know, he would talk to anybody," Joe Rivera, Guadalupe's brother, said.
Neighbors who did not know Rivera are raising concerns about speeding in the area.
Donald Belew has lived off of Johnstown Road for 35 years and said he is concerned about drivers speeding in the area. He and other neighbors started the memorial for Rivera on the side of Johnstown Road.
"I took it as if it was a family member. I just want people to slow down so that they can get home to their families," Belew said.
VDOT crash data shows there have been 27 car accidents on the portion of Johnstown Road between Battlefield Boulevard and Parker Road between 2017 and January 2026. While 13 of those crashes resulted in injuries, only 2 involved speeding. Those numbers do not include Rivera's death.
"This is just one tragedy but it's a major one. There's a lot of accidents that happen especially at the intersection of Johnstown and Battlefield," Belew said.
A Chesapeake Police spokesperson said the department does not have any record of speeding complaints in that area, but noted the department will increase patrols as calls for service allow.
Chesapeake Mayor Rick West said he believes more of a police presence would help prevent speeding on Johnstown Road, but acknowledged the department is not fully staffed.
"85 percent of our budget is in personnel. And we really need to have more police officers out there working to deter these speeders," West said.
Belew urged residents to take action themselves in the meantime.
"It can all be prevented and it's up to each one of us. If you see somebody speeding, make sure you get that license plate number like I do and you might save a life," Belew said.
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