Man's Death Prompts Call for Lighted Crosswalk

Newport Beach residents on Thursday called for a lighted crosswalk at a busy intersection where a man was killed last week.

Don Fuschetti, 45, was a local in every sense of the word. They say he was a surfer and a musician who had a way of making people feel at ease.

"He lit up a room," said Shannon Gibson, a friend. "He was just one of these people you instantly love."

He was struck by a driver who apparently didn't see him in the crosswalk at Westcliff Drive between Irvine Avenue and Dover Drive on Oct. 11. The driver was not cited.

"Everyone seems to be in a hurry," said Brian Gibson, another friend. "It's a tragedy."

Gibson lost a longtime friend and now others question why the corner of Westcliff and Rutland isn't dotted with crossing signs like the one only a few blocks away on the same street.

"Once you see enough room over here, people should be stopping and slowing down but no," said Mitchell Seiff, a pedestrian. "If you were to see my little dog right now so many times it would have got hit."

People passing by talked about near misses.

Brandon Madrid crosses there to go to school with his mom.

"Basically I just stop there and if there's no cars I'll cross," he said. "And maybe the cars will stop for me once in a while. But mainly it's just awful."

City engineers are looking back 10 years to see how many crashes have happened in the area. They will count cars and people and factor in the speed limit. But the state's uniform traffic control manual may dictate what's appropriate. City engineers are not sure how long their study will take.

Meantime, an online petition has more than 1,000 signatures asking that at minimum the crosswalk is lighted.

"They should look at every heavily used crosswalk to ensure the safety of the community," said Julie Mercurio, a friend. "This should not happen."