South Park residents demand safer traffic light improvement on anniversary of 13-year-old's death

Residents in the South Park neighborhood of Los Angeles are demanding a safer traffic light improvement on the anniversary of a 13-year-old's death.

On the one-year anniversary of Carver Middle School student Derick Serrano, family members and residents plan to hold a rally Friday at 2 p.m., demanding that LA City officials install a safer traffic light.

Last year, 13-year-old Serrano was fatally hit by a driver when he was walking home from school. Serrano was hit while crossing a four-lane intersection at Wadsworth and East Vernon Avenues.

The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action said the intersection does not have a crosswalk, crossing guard, or signal. They cite LA City traffic collision data, saying there have been 49 accidents at the intersection since 2010.

Family members and residents claim the city is offering an "inferior improvement," called a HAWK pedestrian signal. A HAWK signal flashes yellow and red lights when a pedestrian pushes a button in a marked crosswalk.

People are demanding that city officials do more and install a traffic light.

"The city cites lower cost as the reason for offering the community the HAWK signal rather than a traffic light. A traffic light would cost $1 million as compared to the $270,000 cost of the HAWK signal," the ACCE said.