Police crack down on speeders after woman is struck and killed in Woodbridge
WOODBRIDGE, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - Digital speed signs and more police patrol have been added on a busy roadway in northern Virginia after a woman was killed while walking her dog.
The deadly crash came just days after the victim complained to police about speeding cars on Cardinal Drive in Woodbridge.
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FOX 5’s Tisha Lewis spoke with the victim’s husband off camera. He says he’s waiting to speak more after the investigation.
We were the first to let him know about the new changes on Cardinal Dr. since his wife’s death.
The speed limit on Cardinal Dr. is 45 miles an hour — that could change based on a study happening right now by the state’s Department of Transportation.
Deborah Talbot, 50, was walking her dog on May 1 when police say a 19-year-old driver careened onto the sidewalk.
Police say alcohol and drugs did not play a factor — they’re still investigating speed.
Talbot died a couple of days later.
Police say since then they’ve installed digital speed signs to warn drivers about speeding.
There’s also been a noticeable police presence to enforce the speed limit.
FOX 5 has learned the Virginia Department of Transportation is conducting a separate investigation into the deadly accident to determine what, if any changes need to take place on Cardinal Dr., including a possible speed limit reduction.
Talbot’s family and friends tell FOX 5 they’re angry this wasn’t done sooner.
“It’s too little too late. It really is. It’s sad... I don’t know. It’s horrible that it took this to happen to her for them to even bother to step up the surveillance and watch for speeders. Cardinal Road has been a terrible place for a long time,” said Sandy Wolford, a family friend.
“Since the crash we’ve issued 77 tickets along Cardinal Drive. We’ve done about 136 hours of radar enforcements since the crash,” said Prince William County Police Department Sgt. Jonathan Perok.
Just four days before the accident, on April 27, Deborah Talbot wrote a post on Prince William County Police Department’s Facebook page asking police when police surveillance would taking place on Cardinal Drive, describing the speeding as out of control.
Police responded to that post saying they would forward her concern to the Traffic Unit. Eerily, they also wished her good health and safety.
Talbot leaves behind a husband searching for answers and two children.