PHOENIX — At 82 years old, Tomas Gonzalez was in the prime of his life.
He was the life of the party at family gatherings. His dance moves were not just a sign he had rhythm, but also showed how agile and fast he was.
“He was not your average 82-year-old, he rode his bike and walked everywhere,” said Christian Santiago. “No one us could believe he was gone.”
Knowing how active Gonzalez was, it was as a shock for Santiago to learn his beloved grandfather had been killed while crossing the road on April 3.
Phoenix police said Gonzalez was on the crosswalk near 43rd Avenue and Thomas Roads when he was struck by possibly two cars. Both cars fled the scene and investigators believe speed was a factor.
Gonzalez’s family said the grandfather always used the HAWK beacon crosswalk in front of his senior living community home, Urban League Manor. But that, nor his fast pace, was enough to keep him safe.
“We’re trying to raise awareness because obviously that crosswalk isn’t working,” Santiago said. “It’s time to see some change.”
3 deaths in same area in 3 weeks
During the last three weeks, three people have died because of car crashes between 43rd and 51st avenues on Thomas Road.
On Saturday, two days before Gonzalez was killed, a woman died after a car she was a passenger in crashed into a pole nearby.
On March 17, Alexis Serna, 28, was killed while she attempted to cross the road east of 51st Avenue. Police believe possible three cars hit her. None of them stopped to render aid.
“We want justice,” Santiago said. “We want something to be done.”
Gonzalez’s family would like the crosswalk turned into a stoplight. They want to look out for others who still need to cross the road in this area.
While 12News was there filming, some drivers blatantly ignored signs and drove feet away past pedestrians who were crossing the road on the crosswalk.
“Although my grandfather is gone, there are still plenty of older citizens there in that community,” Santiago said. “Many of them have talked to us about how traumatized they are after that accident. Many of them don’t feel comfortable using the crosswalk anymore.”
Tomas Gonzalez’s family would also like to see cameras installed on the crosswalks, but the City’s Street Transportation Department spokesperson Gregg Bach told 12News the citywide camera system doesn’t record video, it only monitors real-time traffic.
In September 2022, Phoenix City Council approved the Vision Zero Road Safety Action Plan to tackle roadway safety, which prompted the creation of the Phoenix High Injury Network (HIN), which shows crash data from 2016-2020.
The database is used to “identify locations where a high percentage of collisions resulting in a serious injury or fatality occur,” Bach said.
When asked if the road in this area would be evaluated for safety improvements given the recent deaths, the Department provided no clear answer to 12News.
Bach said the department “receives annual crash data from ADOT and analyses it… so, same as the data represented on the HIN through 2020, crashed in the years since then will be analyzed.”
“These recent incidents are tragic, and the department feels for the impact it has on the families involved,” Bach said. “Roadway safety is a serious issue citywide, and there is a long list of things that the Street Transportation Department is doing to address it and educate the community about it.”
During the first three months of the year, Bach said the department carried out a campaign to educate Valley residents about the ‘Scan the Street for Wheels and Feel’ safety initiative. The campaign was funded by a $100,000 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, including messaging on several radio and social media ads.
Remembering a beloved grandfather
Tomas Gonazalez was loved by many, said Christian Santiago.
“My grandfather was one of the humblest men I have ever met,” Santiago said. “He was full of love, full of friendship, and always willing to give you whatever he had.”
When Santiago was in third grade, he wrote a report about the man who was his idol.
“Without a doubt, I said my grandfather,” Santiago recalls.
Gonzalez always loved to look sharp. Most days wearing a three-piece suit, his family said.
The 82-year-old liked to rebuild things and had a collection of radios, bikes, and sewing machines he brought to life, Santiago said. He would then gift them to people.
“He was humble but rich at the same time,” the grandchild said. “He was rich in love because there were so many people that loved him.”
When Gonzalez was 76 years old, he took up a job as a cross guard near 12th Street and Indian School Road, his family said.
“Although that caused us to worry a lot,” Santiago said. “It was something he liked to do and loved making sure the children were safe.”
As they grieve, the family said they will continue pushing for safety measures to be improved and that their loved ones' death wasn’t in vain.
“Remember to hug those that are dear to you because you never know when that last moment will be,” Santiago said. “That’s the unfortunate feeling that we’re going through now. It didn’t have to happen this way and it did.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help with funeral expenses, you can help donate here.
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