Capitola residents urge safety improvements to stretch of Bay Avenue after fatal hit-and-run 

Residents of a Capitola neighborhood shared their frustrations with city officials Wednesday over the hit-and-run death of 70-year-old Debra Towne in an intersection that community members say has long been known as dangerous for pedestrians.

Capitola police said they’re still searching for the suspect in the Nov. 18 hit-and-run on Bay Avenue at Crossroads Loop. 

Investigators say Towne, a resident of the nearby Bay Avenue Senior Apartments, was crossing Crossroads Loop on foot around 8:30 p.m. when she was struck and killed by what police describe as a “dark-colored SUV with ‘skinny’ headlights.” The vehicle then drove through the parking lot of 820 Bay Ave., reentering Crossroads Loop. Police believe the SUV might have turned east onto Hill Street. 

“I spent the day starting to sort through her things and it’s nearly unbelievable she’s gone,” Adrienne West, Towne’s daughter, told a public safety meeting Wednesday evening at Capitola City Hall. “My thoughts are filled with questions, so many unanswered questions, about how and why this happened to her and how this could have been prevented.” 

Since Towne’s death, local residents have been escalating traffic safety concerns they say go back more than 15 years ago in the area. 

At least three pedestrians have been injured and two killed since November 2017 after being struck by vehicles along that stretch of Bay Avenue, among other types of collisions, said Capitola Police Chief Andy Dally.

While Towne was hit at Crossroads Loop and Bay Avenue, many residents told the meeting that an adjacent intersection, Bay Avenue and Hill Street, is also unsafe for pedestrians because cars often break the speed limit or fail to stop entirely. 

The intersection is controlled by stop signs that serve nine lanes of oncoming traffic. City Manager Jamie Goldstein said he has worked with the city for about 15 years and the intersection has been a challenge since before his time.

“There's been a lot of discussions over the years about whether or not a traffic light would be appropriate, and what the safety implications of that might be,” Goldstein said.

Many of the more than 20 public speakers at the meeting said they live at Bay Avenue Senior Apartments, located at 750 Bay Ave. – where Towne also lived. Residents often walk to the nearby Nob Hill Foods, Peet's Coffee, the Mid-County Senior Center, CVS and other stores. They urged city officials to make improvements to the area. 

Nancy Jones, who knew Towne and has lived at the apartments for 13 years, said the area has long had a problem with speeding cars. Her husband gave her a traffic vest to help her be more visible to traffic. 

“I walk during the day with the safety vest, [the cars] don't stop,” she said. “They speed. It's like a race.” 

Capitola Public Works Director Jessica Kahn told residents the city is aware of the problems and that the city council approved a $50,000 budget in June to pay for improvements in the Bay-Hill intersection. “This intersection has been identified with safety issues for quite some time,” Kahn said.

Currently, the city council is scheduled to approve a final design for a quick, short-term project in early 2024. If it approves a project, construction could start in the spring, and the council could begin consideration of long-term alternatives in the spring or summer of 2024.  

Potential short-term projects the city council is considering, among several others, are widening sidewalks or reducing the number of vehicle lanes. 

Kahn said options were presented to the city council in September and council members directed staff to do public outreach meetings, formed a subcommittee and asked city staff to prioritize short-term solutions while they also look into long-term projects. 

Adrienne West, Towne’s daughter, suggested that officials look into improving the lighting on Bay Avenue. Jones urged city officials to install a traffic light at the intersection but said she was pleased the city was looking to make some improvements. “It's doing something and it's better to do something than nothing," she said.

Dally, the Capitola police chief, said detectives are working on the investigation into Towne’s death. 

“Currently they're still collecting the security footage, and they're interviewing witnesses and examining all the evidence we have right now,” he said “We're still encouraging anyone with information about this incident, please come contact the police department.” 

Capitola police announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Towne’s death. Two private donors each pledged another $5,000, bringing the total reward to $20,000.

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