Suspect in Deadly Crosswalk Accident Driving on Suspended License

Suspect in Deadly Crosswalk Accident Driving on Suspended License

72-year-old Deloris Stanton was killed and 51-year-old Bonnie Warne was injured after being hit by a car Saturday night in Rexburg.

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By Nate Eaton

REXBURG - The driver of a red Cadillac that hit and killed a Rexburg woman Saturday night was driving on a suspended license.

28-year-old Nuel Howard of Parker was driving on Second West near Third South when his car slammed into 72-year-old Deloris Stanton and 51-year-old Bonnie Warne.

Both women were transported to Madison Memorial Hospital, where Stanton was pronounced dead and Warne is currently listed in fair condition.

The accident happened around 7:00 Saturday night. Stanton was walking to a concert at BYU-Idaho with her friend, Bonnie Warne...an English teacher at South Fremont High School.

They pushed the button near the crosswalk that turned on yellow flashing lights.

The ladies proceeded into the crosswalk and a truck stopped for them. However, Howard allegedly changed lanes from behind the truck and slammed into both ladies.

"Both of them were motionless on the ground," says Susan Jackson, who was visiting her son at his house near the crosswalk. "There needs to be more done here. I've crossed it myself. It's not a safe crossing."

It's the same crossing where BYU-Idaho student Chera Birch was hit and killed last December. After that, the city installed blinking lights but Jackson thinks more needs to be done.

"People don't stop for yellow flashing lights. That's caution and you just slow down," says Jackson. "There needs to be a red stoplight here."

Mayor Shawn Larsen called a meeting Monday morning to discuss the accident. City workers spent the day inspecting the crosswalk to see how to make it more safe.

"We've added additional lighting, we've added the flashing lights, we've added the flags," says Rexburg Mayor Shawn Larsen.

Larsen agrees more should be done and he's having the city engineer look at different ways to improve this intersection.

"Is one of those ways maybe a stop light?" asked reporter Nate Eaton.

"That's obviously a consideration," responded Larsen.

Jackson hopes so and until then, she wants her son to walk down to another intersection with a red light every time he has to cross the street.

"I have five other children that we plan to send here but if we know that there is something that is unsafe, we'll make a different choice," says Jackson.

Monday afternoon city workers put up a barrel in the middle of the intersection warning people to slow down.

Police remind all pedestrians and drivers to slow down and be cautious while on the road.

As for Howard, charges are expected to be filed within the next few days.
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