Nearby business owners 'traumatized' by crash that killed 2, call for safety measures
Man and woman in their 60s died earlier this week
Business owners near the site of a grisly crash that killed two pedestrians on Walker Road this week say more needs to be done to make the street safer.
Police still haven't said what caused the crash. No charges have been laid. Windsor police said Wednesday that a 68-year-old woman and 63-year-old man were killed when they were hit by a car around 2 p.m. Monday near Walker and Niagara.
Salem Berhane, owner of a nearby IncluSV Beauty Solutions, says she's still traumatized.
She says she brought over blankets and water to help.
"To actually see the bodies and then when the ambulance came and, you know, covering the bodies, that was a little bit traumatic to see. And I just pray for the two people."
The driver of that car was taken to hospital, and investigators are looking for witnesses. The names of those killed in the crash have not been released.
WATCH: Windsor police close Walker Road for 'serious' crash
Police initially said in a media release that firefighters removed the driver from the SUV involved in the crash.
But witnesses said employees from a nearby auto body shop pulled the driver from the vehicle. One of those employees is Younis Hammoud.
"It's shocking, you know what I mean? ... Just, God help the people, right?" he said.
Police are still investigating, and haven't indicated that speeding was a factor in Monday's crash.
But Berhane says in general, she'd like the street to be safer.
She says people drive recklessly down Walker Road, calling it a "mini highway."
"Sometimes I even walk outside for just a couple of minutes in between clients. Now, I'm terrified to walk on the street," she said.
'Like a raceway,' business owners say of Walker Road
"At first when I moved here, I was so excited because Walker is such a busy street, so I thought it would be so beneficial to my business. Unfortunately, what comes with the busy street is accidents and people are driving recklessly on this street."
"We were, between the other businesses in this area, talking about that and making a complaint to the city, or just even like a petition, whatever we've got to do to get more stop signs in the area and speed bumps, maybe even cameras to let people know to slow down."
Hammoud says he'd like to see more crosswalks on the road, similar to the ones that can be found on Drouillard.
"It's like a raceway here, ever since they did the pavement, people just fly down the road," he said.
Lori Newton is the founder of The Bike Kitchen and executive director of Bike Windsor Essex. The Bike Kitchen is just steps from where Monday's crash took place.
"Both myself and some of my staff cross Walker Road, walking or cycling, every day that we're open to get across here," she said.
"I find myself turning to look one way to make sure it's clear, turning to look the other way, and then wondering whether a car like came barrelling out at us right there. So I'm always a little nervous crossing this road and now I think even more so. I think we're all a little bit traumatized by the tragedy and just can't even really get over the speeds."
She says the road prioritizes speed over safety, and said the road increasingly has more than just commercial traffic: There are new townhomes built on the road and people are crossing back and forth between Ford City for its shopping and cafes.
"It's unsafe. It feels awful. And the cars never stopping mean you're always looking for a moment where you can get in and cross the road."
The City of Windsor said no one was available for comment on Wednesday, while the ward councillor for the area, Mark McKenzie, said he wanted more information on the crash before commenting further.
With files from Jacob Barker