JERSEY CITY, N.J. (PIX11) – People in Jersey City Heights have had enough.
“People just need to drive safer,” said Heights resident Nicholas Geosits.
Using surveying equipment, police shut down Paterson Plank Road Friday morning in the area of a crash that killed three people earlier this month.
Police charged 23-year-old driver Ziyang Wang, who was allegedly going over 100 mph in the moments leading up the deadly crash early on Oct. 16. Two of his passengers died, along with the other driver, 26-year-old Dylan Weidenfeld. Since then, neighbors in The Heights have shined a light on a speeding problem.
“At nighttime, the people disregard the – I think it’s a 25 – they speed. It’s actually crazy,” said Geosits.
“The county executive is committed to making that street safer,” said Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop. “They’re testing out a bunch of things that they can do.”
Fulop said the city has worked to make roads safer through the international Vision Zero initiative. But on this road, he says, there are problems to address.
“It’s a road you’ve had eight people die on in seven years,” said Fulop.
That includes Adriana Riano, who was killed in a crash in 2019 just feet away from the most recent crash.
While Paterson Plank Road is a county road, many ideas have been brainstormed at City Hall on how to make it safer for everyone.
“County and state roads need to kind of have really a focused effort to really drive safety for pedestrians and cars,” said Fulop, who suggested placing a traffic light on Paterson Plank Road at Holland Street. “I would expect in the next couple months, you’ll see a real reshaping of Paterson Plank Road to make it safer.”
