Dockweiler State Beach is one of the most popular Southern California beaches as families gather around fire pits during summer months. But access to Dockweiler is unsafe and often deadly for pedestrians, especially on a roadway called Vista Del Mar, which runs parallel to the beach, according to a Downey family.
In September 2021, the Rivera family lost its matriarch, Wendy Galdamez, as the 33-year-old was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while crossing the street.
“In the moments before she was struck, Wendy, who was carrying Sebastian, her son, in her arms, threw him out of the way of the oncoming traffic, thereby saving his life in the process,” said Court Purdy, the family attorney.
The 8,000 feet stretch of Vista Del Mare from Imperial Highway to Napoleon Street near the Ballona Creek Bridge does not have a single marked crosswalk to allow pedestrians to safely cross the road, according to Purdy, who is suing the city of Los Angeles on behalf of the Rivera family.
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What’s worse, the family argues, is that there used to be several marked crosswalks until the city of Los Angeles got rid of them.
“We know that in 2013, the now-principal transportation engineer for LADOT (Los Angeles Department of Transportation) recommended to install pedestrian traffic measures approximately 1200 feet north of this intersection on Imperial Highway. That plan, which was slated to be submitted for federal funding, was to cost approximately $250,000 for reasons that we do not know – That plan was scrapped with no plan to replace it,” Purdy said, claiming that the city of A refuses to install modern lighting to make the area for pedestrians and drivers.
People who live in Playa del Rey said they understand how dangerous Vista Del Mar could be.
"Cars drive really, really fast here," Joyce Charat said.
In 2017, a 16-year-old girl was killed while crossing Vista Del Mar. The city had removed traffic lanes to add angled parking along Dockeiler State Beach, hoping to prevent jaywalking.
But when traffic started to build up, people living n the area pushed back, and the lanes were restored.
Now parking is prohibited along much of Vista Del Mar.
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation did not respond to a request for comment.
