Atlanta city officials were instructed to remove a faded crosswalk from a busy street nearly three years before a man was struck and killed while getting lunch for his wife, his family alleges in a new lawsuit.
Pradeep Kumar Sood, 67, was hit by a pickup truck last February while crossing Peachtree Street between AmericasMart and Peachtree Center.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
The longtime vendor’s widow said city officials should have either repainted or removed the crosswalk, which was installed four years earlier as part of a “temporary street project.”
In 2021, the city narrowed the busy downtown thoroughfare from four lanes to two. It was part of a “shared space design” meant to encourage walking and cycling in the area, his wife said.
That project was scrapped the following year and Peachtree Street was expanded back to four lanes, but the city never removed the temporary crosswalk despite orders to do so, Sood’s widow alleges.
Credit: Michael Scaturro
Credit: Michael Scaturro
“Despite internal discussions and direction to deinstall the project, the city allowed faded crosswalk markings to remain in a busy downtown roadway for years, creating a hazardous and misleading condition for pedestrians and motorists alike,” she said.
Sood’s family alleges city officials knew the crossing was dangerous but failed to address concerns raised by pedestrian advocates and local business owners. The crosswalk was removed four days after Sood was killed.
At a news conference marking the one-year anniversary of her father’s death, Puja Jabbour said she’s has watched as countless others make same walk between AmericasMart and Peachtree Center.
She is still waiting for city officials to reinstall a safer, more visible crosswalk.
“It’s a natural crossing,” said Jabbour, whose family still runs a showroom at AmericasMart. “The city needs to respond to people’s natural behavior and natural tendencies.”
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
Last June, Atlanta City Council members passed a resolution seeking the crosswalk’s restoration.
An Atlanta Department of Transportation spokesperson said safety improvements are tentatively scheduled to begin this fall. There will be public engagement sessions in advance of that work. The mayor’s office declined to comment on the lawsuit, which was filed a year and a day after Sood was killed.
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