Students raise concerns about pedestrian safety after Marquette dean killed in crash

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The death of a prominent figure in the Marquette University community has students raising new concerns about pedestrian safety near campus.

A fatal crash near 10th and Wisconsin Avenue Tuesday night is serving as a warning to Marquette students who walk near that intersection everyday.

"It's just a really busy area just on campus and everything," said freshman Grace Marchello. "Drivers and students just need to be really careful."

The crash hit even closer to home because the victim was 60-year-old Dr. Joe Daniels, Keyes Dean of Business Administration.

"I didn't even expect that it would be somebody from the Marquette community," said freshman Noah Smith.

Students and city leaders are now asking how they can help make that community safer for pedestrians.

"It's very much on the radar screen of students, faculty, the administration at the university, and we've pretty much implemented whatever they've asked us to implement," said District 4 Alderman Robert Bauman.

Bauman points to many improvements made over the years, such as adding pedestrian crossings and changing one-way streets back to two-way streets.

City leaders are currently considering installing speed tables -- a type of modified speed humps -- on stretches of 16th and 17th streets.

As for the intersection where the crash happened, students are also advocating for the crosswalks at that intersection to be better lit, hoping to prevent future tragedies like that of Dr. Daniels.

"He (was) going home from work, going to his family," Marchello said. "I'm just like, 'That could have been anybody. That could have been me.'"