Site of fatal accident revamped
Published 9:25 pm Thursday, April 1, 2010
Three weeks ago, a woman was hit and killed while crossing a crosswalk on West Constance Road.
On Thursday, Suffolk Public Works employees worked on the area, applying paint to the stripes on the crosswalk.
The victim, Betty Jean Artis, 64, of Suffolk, was a resident of Chorey Park Apartments and was crossing the walk in her motorized wheelchair at around 6:45 p.m. when she was struck by a Chevrolet SUV.
The driver of the SUV has been identified as Portsmouth resident Ramshami Bakari.
The initial reports said the conditions at the time of the accident were dark and rainy and that Artis was traveling across the pedestrian crosswalk on West Constance Road, heading back to the apartments from the Plaza West Shopping Center.
Emergency officials transported Artis by ambulance to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital where she later died from her injuries, which included head trauma, officials reported. The city has turned the case over to the Commonwealth’s Attorney and is awaiting his recommendation, according to city spokeswoman Debbie George.
George did not know Thursday if the painting was related to the accident.