LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A man hit and nearly killed by a car in the central valley spoke with 8 News Now Thursday, as he and his family call for safer roads in Southern Nevada.
“I really don’t remember much,” Hal Goldblatt said.
Weeks after Goldblatt was hit and nearly killed by a car while walking home, he said he is still struggling to remember what happened.
“He just blurted out,” Hal’s wife Shawn Goldblatt recalled. “Hal was hit by a car and it’s really, really bad.”
Shawn, who’s been married to Hal for 48 years, is now by his side as he works hard on healing.
Hal told 8 News Now he was hit in a crosswalk near Charleston Boulevard and Arville Street in November while walking home from a day of work at his synagogue.
Witnesses said he flew 79 feet into the air and onto a windshield, breaking nearly every bone in his body.
Shawn and Hal said they’ve worried about dangerous driving along the same stretch for years.
“We worked really hard to get that crosswalk put in,” Shawn recalled. “But it’s just not enough.”
Statistics show deadly pedestrian crashes are up 14% in Metro Police’s jurisdiction so far this year. Crashes involving excessive speed have also seen a 20% spike.
“You see cars just whoosh right through,” Shawn Goldblatt said. “They don’t stop.”
This is why, as Hal faces a long road of pain and recovery, he hopes by sharing his story, he can help others stay safe.
“I will get through this, and I will make that crosswalk better,” Hal Goldblatt concluded. “I want to save lives, that’s all I want to do.”
Hal and Shawn told 8 News Now they have already spoken to several local officials about adding a stop sign or flashing lights to the crosswalk where Hal was hit.
The family also has a GoFundMe to raise money for daily expenses and medical bills if you’d like to help.