Pedestrian killed in hit-and-run near Minneapolis' Lake Nokomis
MINNEAPOLIS – Minneapolis police are searching for the driver who hit and killed a man Thursday morning, and then drove off.
It happened at about 8:30 a.m. at Cedar Avenue South and East Lake Nokomis Parkway. First responders found the victim wrapped around a light pole; his shoes were found in the middle of Cedar Avenue.
The area around Lake Nokomis is a destination for many who like to walk and run, and many who use this area know how dangerous it can be.
Kerry Turrentine knows this intersection well.
Bikers and runners, everybody gets hurt here," Turrentine said. "I grew up over here right across the lake and it's always been a really busy intersection, even back when I lived here when I was a little girl. I think you come off the freeway really fast and you go onto the freeway really fast. It's just a bad corner."
Johnny Surprise and many of his running buddies are sad to see a fellow exercise enthusiast lose their life, but he's not surprised because of the way traffic is at the intersection.
"There's so many of us that run through here every single morning and everyday," Surprise said. "We could probably sit here for 10 minutes and watch and see cars running through the red lights and yellow lights."
He hopes city leaders run the numbers and look at how many accidents happen here involving drivers, runners and walkers – and find a solution to save lives.
"It's like trying to cross a NASCAR track at times," Surprise said.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Minneapolis Police.