Investigation continues into fatal accident on Imjin Parkway
MARINA, Calif. (KION)
UPDATE 1/22/2020 4:30 p.m. KION has learned the man who was hit and killed on Imjin Parkway Tuesday night was a 76-year-old disabled man from Marina who was wheelchair-bound, according to Veterans Transition Center Executive Director Kurt Schake.
The Monterey County Sheriff's Office identifies the man as Virl Grier.
Grier had been living at the VTC in Marina for three months, according to Schake, even though he was not a veteran.
Schake said he was on the cusp of moving into permanent housing before his death. He described Grier as an amicable man who smiled all the time and was a pleasure to be around.
Police responded to the scene of the crash and found that a vehicle had hit Grier, who was in his wheelchair. Grier was taken to the hospital where he later died.
PREVIOUS STORY: The Marina Police Department is continuing to investigate what led up to a fatal traffic collision Tuesday evening that left one man dead.
The accident happened Imjin Parkway at Third Avenue at around 5:29 p.m. That street was closed to all traffic until approximately 11:00 PM on Wednesday, according to authorities.
Marina police arrived on scene to find one vehicle had collided with a man using a wheelchair. The man was taken to a local hospital, but later died from his injuries.
KION is working to identify the man killed on Tuesday and if he was a local resident.
The Marina Police Department asks any witnesses to this collision to please call the Marina Police Department at 384-7575 or 884-1210.
This is not the first time accidents have occurred on Imjin Parkway. In April 2018, three people were hurt, two seriously, in another crash on Imjin Parkway and Abrams in Marina.
Police say in that incident, a driver didn’t see two people pulled off to the side of the road after a minor fender bender and hit them and their cars. Two women were seriously hurt. The driver was heading westbound.
"The times that I've driven, I can count probably five times almost getting
into an accident just because people are rushing," said Elizabeth Hernandez, a Salinas resident. "I do believe traffic needs to be studied to do something about that road. It's very dangerous from my perspective."
In May 2018, the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, or TAMC, announced that they were awarded $19 million from the state to make "significant improvements" to Imjin Parkway.
According to TAMC's website, "The project on this major arterial for commuters traveling between the Monterey Peninsula and the City of Salinas will widen Imjin Parkway to 4 lanes for its entire length, with a new bicycle path and sidewalks, and roundabouts at key intersections. The result will ease congestion and serve all users on the corridor."
The funds are coming from the state's SB1 Gas Tax.
