Cary neighbors demand action one week after pedestrian hit, killed

CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- Long before Sandra Verastegui was struck and killed in her driveway and by a teenaged driver, people who live in Cary's Trappers Run neighborhood were leery of cars going way too fast on their residential streets.

The 52-year-old Verastegui, who lived on Castalia Drive, had just finished taking out her trash last Monday morning when Cary police said the 16-year-old driver hit her with his Ford Escape, dragging her about 100 feet before coming to a stop.

Jax Aiden Fuller is charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, careless and reckless driving, and failure to maintain lane control.

Police did not list speed as a contributing factor, but Creech said it's the speeding drivers who pose a threat to her family and others.

"Nobody should go and take their trash out to the street and never be able to walk back into their home again," said Debbe Creech, who lives on nearby Trappers Run Drive. "That just really tears me up. Could happen to anyone."

Since Monday's fatal crash, Creech has been working to rally neighbors who would be interested in signing a petition, demanding that the Town of Cary install more speed bumps, a double yellow line down the middle of Castalia Drive, and flashing lights at the Greenway crosswalk over Castalia Drive.

Deanna Hawkes, a spokesperson for Town of Cary Public Safety, said staff conducted a traffic study on Trappers Run Drive in June 2018, but found drivers generally obeyed the 25 mph speed limit.

Cary police stepped up patrols, but the Town stopped short of recommending more speed bumps.

Hawkes said the Town has already received one application for traffic calming since Monday's deadly crash. Staff will review the application and meet with neighbors to discuss their concerns and requests for devices, Hawkes said.