Atherton Crosswalk Still Dangerous Despite Fatality, $9.5M Settlement

ATHERTON (CBS SF) -- A Bay Area husband and father was killed in a crosswalk six years ago in Atherton, but the dangerous intersection where he was struck has not been fixed.

Now his family is calling out Caltrans, for failing on a promise to fix the dangerous intersection.

This week a jury awarded the family of 62-year-old Chris Chandler $9.5 million in damages, but the family says that's not enough. They want to see pedestrian's prioritized at the intersection where Chris Chandler died. Family members say they're still fighting for a change that could save lives.

Chandler was hit in the crosswalk at El Camino Real and Isabella Avenue in Atherton.

The family's attorney, Mike Danko, says Caltrans promised to install pedestrian-activated stoplights in the crosswalk after two women were seriously injured in the same area in 2012.

But the light's have not yet been installed.

"I don't want another family to have to go through what we are going through and going through every day of our life," said Jan Chandler, widow of Chris Chandler.

Jan Chandler said over the last six years her husband missed a lot.

"He wasn't there when our oldest daughter got married, to walk her down the aisle. Or for the first grandchild or any of the grandchildren," she said.

Jan Chandler and her three daughters were awarded the damages this week, holding the California Department of Transportation 90 percent responsible for Chris Chandler's death and the driver who struck and killed him, 10 percent responsible.

But the Chandler family says they want more. Not more money but more done to protect the public along busy El Camino Real so this never happens again.

"It's already happened to more families since Chris," Jan Chandler told KPIX 5, explaining that she asked Caltrans: "why is it that you have all these crosswalks when you know they are dangerous?"

Danko said, Caltrans told them, "we know it's dangerous but our policy is to not do anything unless there are at least four accidents or fatalities."

When crossing at that intersection drivers won't stop until you actually walk into their lane.

Atherton resident Cesar Delgadillo said, "I would like to see a bridge -- or even lights."

According to Danko, 29 other crosswalks along El Camino Real in San Mateo County are just like the one where Chris Chandler died. The crosswalks are hard to notice even from a short distance away.