NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Lisa Wysocky still can't believe David Kramnic is gone. She met him through her outreach work with Colby's Army.
It's a nonprofit organization helping the unhoused of Middle Tennessee.
Kramnic was a military veteran who fell on hard times, according to Wysocky. He was staying with others inside the Brookmeade Park encampment.
"We do street outreach on the west side of town, and we met David maybe about eight or 10 years ago, and he just was a breath of fresh air. He was always pleasant to us, always had a smile on his face," said Wysocky.
Wysocky said she was able to find Kramnic a place to live.
"Once he was housed, he had a roommate and he was trying to take care of her, and that was his special gift, was he really cared about people,"
Metro Nashville police say Kramnic died following a hit-and-run crash on Gallatin Pike North near Duling Avenue in Madison on February 22.
The preliminary investigation indicates the 61-year-old was in the continuous left turn lane when he was struck by a white sedan. The impact of the crash knocked Kramnic into the southbound lane of travel when a Nissan Versa also struck him. He was transported to Skyline Medical Center where he died.
"I know four of our homeless in the last probably two years have been hit by cars, and it's, just, I don't know if it has something to do with the intersections themselves or the quality of our driving, but it's really tragic," said Wysocky.
Kraminc is just one out of eight people killed walking across a Nashville street this year.
Last year, the city saw 48 pedestrian fatalities, including two bicyclists.
Now there's a place to learn about all of them from this interactive map created by Walk Bike Nashville and Vanderbilt University. This is the third year the two have teamed up for the map.
Michael Briggs, director of transportation at Vanderbilt University says this is a way to honor the victims and highlight the need for change.
"Drivers really just need to be aware of the changing conditions around them as they go throughout the city and throughout the region," Briggs said.
Drivers agree. Wysocky hopes David's story and the stories of others can help save lives.
"I don't know what the city needs to do. I don't know what we as drivers need to do other than be more vigilant, but it's — it's very, very sad," Wysocky said.
Walk Bike Nashville is asking NDOT to commit to lowering speed limits to 30 mph in the deadliest stretches of the high-injury areas.
