TAMPA, Fla. -- A Bay Area family wants changes after the death of 63-year-old Leila Reid.
- Leila Reid, 63, struck and killed by car
- Reid was crossing 40th street
- Family neighbors demanding change
She was stuck by a car and killed while crossing 40th street in the Temple Crest community, and her family misses her dearly.
"She had this really uplifting spirit," her daughter Angel Reid said. "She was knowledgeable about everything and caring enough to share that knowledge with everyone."
Reid had recently moved into the River Pines Apartments Retirement Community. Her neighbors said it's along a dangerous street.
Reid is at least the second person who has been hit and killed while crossing the street in recent years. There is a crosswalk and pedestrian signs, but cars continue to speed by the retirement community.
Resident Toni Aber said she is frightened every time she walks to the bus stop.
"We're a senior citizen retirement community," Aber said. "A lot of us don't have cars. A lot of us have to take buses to get around, and we have to deal with that … that's not right. "
It's why neighbors and Reid's family are pushing for changes. They want the city to install a flashing yellow light with verbal commands for pedestrians that tell when it's safe to cross.
Neighbors also said they'd like to see a red flashing light similar to the one on Hillsborough Avenue.
"We need a traffic light, we need a red light, some kind of signal," Aber said.
Tampa crews began making some improvements shortly after Reid's death. Her daughter Angel said the city is adding flashing lights, but she thinks more is needed.
"We have to make some kind of changes so no one else feels like this, no other family goes through this," Reid said.
And as the family mourns, they said they'll continue to fight for safer streets. It's what they say Leila Reid would have wanted.
The driver who struck Reid has not been charged. Authorities said that driver was unable to avoid the accident.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family pay for Reid's funeral. If you'd like to assist, click here.
GoFundMe.com sites are not managed by Spectrum Bay News 9 or Spectrum News 13. For more information on how the site works and the rules, visit http://www.gofundme.com/safety.