Sister of Woman Killed in Hit-and-Run Wants Changes Made to Dangerous Intersection
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) — The sister of a woman who was struck and killed by a vehicle early Saturday is speaking out about what she calls a dangerous intersection and misinformation released by the Montgomery Police Department.
Karla Diane Barclay, 52, of Prattville, was hit and killed just after 1 a.m. Saturday while attempting to cross Eastern Boulevard from the Sleep Inn hotel to a gas station across the street. Family members say Barclay was partially deaf and had difficulty navigating the poorly marked intersection.
“There are no pedestrian crossings,” said her sister, Kandy Rasberry. “There are no lights for a pedestrian to cross. Where was she supposed to cross?”
Rasberry, wearing one of her sister’s dresses to feel close to her, believes Karla was trying to time her crossing by watching traffic signals. She suspects Barclay never heard the two vehicles allegedly drag racing in the area.
“There were witnesses on the scene that said those people that killed my sister had been drag racing for over two hours,” Rasberry said. “They had been up and down that road all night long.”
Rasberry said she was told her sister died instantly and she witnessed Karla’s body lying in the intersection for several hours, covered with a sheet. However, a statement from the Montgomery Police Department issued Saturday night claimed Barclay had been transported to a local hospital, where she later died.
That discrepancy only added to Rasberry’s grief.
“She never went to the hospital. She never got in an ambulance,” Rasberry said. “So how could someone make that mistake? That’s a whole different kind of grief — to think she might have been scared or knew she was dying.”
Following a request from Action 8 News for clarification, MPD issued a revised statement Sunday evening: “At the scene, officers located Karla Diane Barclay, 52, of Prattville, who sustained fatal injuries from the collision and was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Barclay, a mother of two, loved arts and crafts and had a strong sense of fashion, Rasberry said. Her hearing loss had prevented her from holding a job, but she had recently begun the process of applying for disability and obtaining a state ID.
“She can’t do anything without an ID,” Rasberry said through tears. “There are a lot of people out there who get caught up in the system. A simple fix could help a lot of people before they go too far down that road. I think her legacy should be to live life to the fullest and live it for the Lord.”
Rasberry says she plans to speak with city officials about adding a pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection.
According to MPD, a 2013 Chevrolet Camaro believed to be involved in the hit-and-run was located shortly after the crash. Javier Panuceno, 21, has been arrested and charged with felony leaving the scene of an accident. He was booked into the Montgomery County Detention Facility.
