Speed bumps, speed camera installed on DC street where 6-year-old boy fatally struck

WASHINGTON - A push for safety improvements along a busy Southeast D.C. street has made significant progress after a 6-year-old boy was struck and killed by a car two months ago. Neighbors said speeding cars were a constant concern and finally new safety measures have been added in hopes of slowing drivers down.

The memorial for Xavier Luckey still remains on Livingston Road where the young boy was fatally hit on his sixth birthday while he was crossing the roadway.

The neighborhood is still devastated about the tragic incident and a woman even said it was about time and she feels it is unfortunate that it took for a little boy to be killed in order to get the speed bumps placed on the street.

The driver who struck Luckey was not charged, but residents who live in the neighborhood said with so many kids in the area - apartments lining one side of Livingston Road and a school and park located on the other side, this street can be dangerous.

When we attended a vigil for Luckey in mid-May, cars were seen flying down the street. The speed limit is 25 miles per hour and 15 miles per hour when kids are present.

FOX 5 followed up with city leaders and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser had the District Department of Transportation look into it. DDOT conducted a traffic study and met with community members.

After two months, a crosswalk, speed bumps, a speed camera and new lights have been installed on Livingston Road.

"Coming around this corner at night or anything, you wouldn't see a person," said resident Ladera Ellis. "Or if you did, by the time you slow down, it's too late. It's a great idea."

"Residents are looking for results from city leaders," said D.C. Councilmember Trayon White (D-Ward 8). "They don't need a lot of verbiage, a lot of talk, a lot of conversation. They are looking for results. Tonight, we got one result."

White still has a concern about the roadway.

"I'm really concerned with this new thing that was done here - there is no [median] line in the middle of the street," said White. "So when you see cars, cars are actually riding in the middle of the street instead of one side or the other. So we want to make sure they put a line here to differentiate which side of the street you should be on driving down the street."

DDOT said about 95 percent of this project on Livingston Road has been completed.