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Councilman Wants Tighter Barriers At Site Of Deadly Venice Hit-And-Run
Bollards at Venice Beach (Facebook)
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The city councilman who represents Venice is calling on the city to put up more barriers to cars on the Venice Boardwalk, the site of last night's deadly hit-and-run.
Los Angeles city councilman Mike Bonin says that what happened last night highlights a serious problem for the boardwalk. He told City News Service that non-emergency cars find their way onto the boardwalk "16 to 20 times a day, more often at night, because it looks like a residential street." There are many streets, parking lots and driveways that dead end on Ocean Front Walk, and there's nothing stopping traffic in most of those sections.
However, the section where 38-year-old murder suspect Nathan Louis Campbell entered actually did have four yellow bollards. Bonin wrote on his Facebook page, "The site of last night's horrible tragedy actually had four bollards blocking the street, but apparently the assailant sped right around them, over the sidewalk and into the crowd."
Nathan Louis Campbell, 38, has been arrested and charged with murder after he drove into the crowd on the boardwalk.
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Bonin admitted to CNS that it may not be possible to prevent what happened last night but he still wants to push for more barriers: "You can't prevent a homicidal maniac from doing what happened yesterday. But we are already working with the mayor, police and city recreation and Parks Department to restrict non-emergency vehicular access to the Venice boardwalk."
Bonin said that he called Santa Monica to ask for guidance about how they responded to a similar problem ten years ago. In 2003, 10 people were killed when an elderly man plowed into the crowded Santa Monica Farmers Market. At the time, there were no barriers at the Third Street Promenade, and the city of Santa Monica responded first by putting parked cars as barriers and then adding cables and other devices that allow emergency vehicles to pass through.
Bonin says that he hopes Los Angeles can learn from what Santa Monica did.
Related:
'Smiling' Driver Kills 1, Injures 11 After Plowing Through Crowded Venice Boardwalk
Venice Boardwalk Hit-And-Run Victim Identified As Italian Woman On Honeymoon
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