'It's like a drag race around here.' Safety measures coming to Stamford intersection where 2 were killed
Police say Michael Talbot was driving at a high rate of speed and killed Giovanni Vega Benis and Yuliana Arias Lozano.
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Safety measures are being put in place at a dangerous Stamford intersection where two people were recently killed.
Washington Boulevard and Main Street is one of the most dangerous intersections in Stamford.
"It's like a drag race around here. It's just not safe to cross the street," says Kevin, from Stamford.
"We've unfortunately experienced a number of tragic fatalities," says Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons.
The latest one happened in December. Police say Michael Talbot was driving at a high rate of speed and killed Giovanni Vega Benis and Yuliana Arias Lozano.
MORE: Greenwich man accused of killing two people offered plea deal
The intersection is one of 20 in the city where changes are being made nine months later as part of Stamford's Vision Zero plan to make streets safer.
The state Department of Transportation has installed bump outs and speed bumps, as well as shortened the crossing distance for pedestrians.
"We're also conducting a road safety audit of the entire corridor of Washington Boulevard to make sure we can make safety enhancements for pedestrians and drivers," says Simmons.
The mayor says the city has seen a 75% decrease in fatal pedestrian crashes since the Vision Zero plan has been implemented.
"Already we are tracking the data through our new Vision Zero data dashboard, where we can identify the dangerous intersections in our city, make improvements and track the progress," says Simmons.
Simmons says city funding has been doubled for these safety projects with the goal of getting to zero fatalities by 2032.
Talbot is due back in court next week. He's being held on a $1.75 million bond.
