There is no crosswalk and residents in this community have to dodge traffic to make it to the only convenience store in the area. A man everyone knew as "La-La" was headed to the other side of the street, but he didn't make it.
The image is grainy and dark, but surveillance video captured the final moments of the Vallejo man's life. Edwin "La-La" Andrews, 41, was struck and killed on a stretch of Broadway Street just after 6 p.m. Tuesday. In the video, it's clear to see that Andrews has mobility issues. With his limp, which friends say is from a childhood bout with polio, he is forced to use a cane. Andrews simply could not cross the street fast enough. He was hit by a car traveling north.
"Tires squealing and next thing I know, cars are stopping," said Fred Usi.
Usi knew something was wrong from the commotion. His camera's caught the accident's aftermath. Police told us at night visibility is an issue.
"I can tell you that there's no crosswalk in that area. It's fairly dark there," said Vallejo Police Sgt. Stephen Darden.
Rain at the time of the accident is also being considered as a contributing factor.
Investigators tell ABC7 News after Andrews was hit by the first car, he fell into the path of a second one. The 89-year-old driver of a Mercedes dragged Andrews nearly half a mile before coming to a stop in front of Emily Hofilana's house on Mini Drive.
"My children, they heard tires screeching and they looked out and saw the body under the front end of the car," said Hofilana.
Andrews' caregiver says he would make the trip across this street regularly and never allowed his disability to slow him down. She describes him as a loving father and grandfather. The man who beat the limitations of polio was no match for a dimly lit street on a dark, cold, rainy November night.
