Sister of the woman who was killed in hit-and-run wants to make changes at a dangerous intersection

Posted: May 4, 2025 23:14 PM CDT

from
Estee Morrison, John Dupree, Waka Action 8 News

Montgomery, Ala. (WAKA) – The sister of a woman who was hit and killed by a vehicle early Saturday, speaks about what she refers to as a dangerous intersection and misinformation, which was published by the Montgomery Police Department.

Karla Diane Barclay, 52, from Prattville, was killed shortly after Saturday at 1 a.m. when he tried to cross the Eastern Boulevard from Sleep In Hotel to a petrol station on the other side of the street. Family members say that Barclay was partially deaf and had difficulty navigating the poorly marked intersection.

“There are no pedestrian transitions,” said her sister Kandy Rasberry. “There are no lights that a pedestrian can cross. Where should it cross?”

Rasberry, who wore one of her sister's clothes to feel near her, believes that Karla tried to measure her intersection by watching traffic signals. She suspects that Barclay never ran the two vehicles in the area.

“There were witnesses in the scene who said that the people who killed my sister were shot for over two hours,” said Rasberry. “You were up and down all night long.”

Rasberry said she was told her sister immediately died and she saw Karla's body at the intersection for several hours and was covered with a leaf. In a statement by the Montgomery Police Department, which was published on Saturday evening, however, it was claimed that Barclay was taken to a local hospital where she later died.

Rasberry's grief only contributed this discrepancy.

“She never went to the hospital. She never came to an ambulance,” said Rasberry. “So how could someone make this mistake? This is a completely different kind of grief – to believe that she was afraid or knew that she was dying.”

After a request from Action 8 News about clarification, MPD made a revised explanation on Sunday evening: “At the scene, the officials Karla Diane Barclay, 52, were from Prattville, who suffered fatal injuries from the collision and died on site.”

Barclay, a mother of two children, loved the handicraft and had a strong sense of fashion, said Rasberry. Her hearing loss had prevented her from stopping a job, but she had recently started applying for a disability and maintaining a state ID.

“She can't do anything without ID,” said Rasberry through tears. “There are many people out there who are involved in the system. A simple solution could help many people before they go too far. I think their legacy should be to live life to the fullest and to live it for the Lord.”

Rasberry says that she plans to talk to city officials about adding a pedestrian destination at the intersection.

According to the MPD, a Chevrolet Camaro from 2013 was located shortly after the crash. The 21 -year -old Javier Panuceno was arrested and charged with crime that left the scene of the accident. He was instructed to the Montgomery County's prison.