CAPITOLA >> A Capitola resident was seriously injured last week while crossing the street at one of the city’s most high-traffic and notorious transportation corridors.

Local emergency responders rushed to the corner of Bay and Capitola avenues the evening of July 3 after receiving reports that a male pedestrian had been struck by the driver of a white SUV moving northbound through the intersection.

After being treated at the scene of the incident, the man was quickly transferred to an air ambulance and rushed to a regional trauma center in stable but serious condition, according to a social media post shared Friday by the Capitola Police Department.

The Sentinel inquired with the Capitola Police Department Friday about the injured man’s current condition and approximate age but did not receive a response before press time.Witnesses at the scene of the crash confirmed to police that the pedestrian was in the crosswalk at the time of the collision. The SUV’s driver also remained at the intersection and fully cooperated with law enforcement, according to the agency’s release. Drugs and alcohol were not suspected to be factors in the crash.

“(The Capitola Police Department) has made traffic enforcement on Bay Avenue one of our priorities after hearing community concerns and will continue to focus on unsafe driving,” the local agency wrote.

The Bay Avenue corridor has long been a point of focus for city leaders when it comes to traffic flow and safety. In 2023, 70-year-old Bay Avenue Senior Apartments resident Debra Towne was killed in a hit-and-run collision while walking across the Crossroads Loop along Bay Avenue after nightfall.

The incident sparked a series of short-term safety enhancements at the nearby Bay Avenue and Hill Street intersection, but the Capitola City Council backtracked on some of those plans after congestion issues surfaced.

Bay Avenue was also the focus of a long-term corridor study that was shared in February. Presented with three alternatives meant to both ease congestion and improve safety, the council voiced support for an option that converts the Bay/Hill and Bay/Capitola intersections into single-lane roundabouts meant to reduce delays and conflict points. Plans also include protected crossings and designated bicycle facilities.

City staff were directed at the time to pursue grant opportunities to fund the project before final design and construction plans are brought to the council.