Crosswalks coming to Murchison Road after deadly crashes in Fayetteville: 'I miss my son'

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- A grieving mother in Fayetteville is opening up about losing her son to a car crash on Murchison Road. It's happening just as state and city officials are now installing crosswalks and signs to make that road safer after the deadly crash.

"I miss my son. I don't get to see him. I don't get to hear him anymore. I don't get to hold him."

Eva Gage says it's been two long years since she lost her 12-year-old son, Jacob, on Murchison Road near the Blue Street intersection. ABC11 spoke to Gage back in November 2022 after Jacob was hit by a car while crossing the street. A memorial at the scene of the crash serves as a painful reminder of the life and community Jacob left behind.

"He was high-functioning autistic. If we had a crosswalk, he would have used the crosswalk," Gage said.

"Where we live at is just as important as every other area on Murchison Road to have a traffic light and crosswalk," said LaToria Meadows, one of Gage's neighbors at Murchison Road.

The city of Fayetteville and the state's Department of Transportation say after hearing people's requests for crosswalks at the Murchison Road and Blue Street intersection, they're making those requests a reality.

The city says it installed crosswalks on Blue Street last month. This week, NCDOT says it's installing pedestrian signs and crosswalks on Murchison Road--a road managed by the state. It's all part of a larger plan to make Fayetteville more walkable.

"Safety is one of our top priorities in anything that we do, whether we build new roads or improve upon existing roads and intersections," said Andrew Barksdale, NC Dept. of Transportation.

Gage tells ABC11 she's glad to hear the Murchison Road crosswalks are being installed but is heartbroken that she lost her son in the process.

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