Jesse Espitia urges more road safety after his pregnant sister’s fatal crash on the south side.
SAN ANTONIO — Nearly two months after a pregnant woman was struck and killed while trying to cross a busy road on the South Side, her brother is pushing for more safety improvements in the area. Jesse Espitia said some progress has already been made.
In August, Jeanette Espitia took the bus to buy diapers. She got off near a Dairy Queen along Southeast Military Drive, between Old Corpus Christi Road and South Presa Street. Police say she crossed the street outside of the crosswalk when a driver hit her, however the driver stopped to help.
Jeanette died at the scene along with her unborn baby. Her daughter, who was with her in a stroller, survived. Jesse said Jeanette pushed her daughter out of the way.
Since then, her brother has been advocating for changes along that stretch of road.
“The stretch of road is dangerous,” Jesse said. “I just don’t want it to happen to anybody else.”
He says losing his sister and unborn nephew has taken a heavy toll on his family, especially the three children Jeanette left behind.
“It’s been very lonely. I miss my sister. I miss arguing with her. I miss the jokes,” he said.
One of the first changes is already visible. The bus stop where Jeanette got off is no longer in front of the Dairy Queen. VIA confirmed it was moved last week at the request of the city and is now located directly in front of the crosswalk.
In statement to KENS 5 VIA said the following:
“The bus stop was relocated at the request of the City of San Antonio to enhance safety for our customers, in line with Vision Zero’s goals. At VIA, safety is a top priority, and we fully supported this change. There are plans to upgrade the shelter currently in place.”
“It’s good that they actually listened, and it was done quicker than expected,” he said.
Still, he said more needs to be done. Currently, the crosswalk is with yellow caution lights. Espitia is advocating for those to be replaced with red lights that would require drivers to stop when a pedestrian is crossing.
“I do feel a little comfort that these changes are being met,” he said. “Hopefully, we don’t see another accident out here. I hope and pray every day that we don’t.”
KENS 5 also contacted Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran’s Office and the City’s Department of Transportation who also provided statements. The below statement is from Councilwoman Viagran’s Office.
“The Transportation Department is working together with TxDOT, Public Works, and VIA in reviewing the crash and exploring options for making this crossing safer for all of our road users, especially the most-vulnerable ones.”
The City’s Director, Catherine “Cat” Hernandez, for the Transportation Department said the following:
“To improve safety to pedestrians in the area – especially those who take the bus— the City of San Antonio requested the relocation of the bus stop, in line with our Vision Zero SA initiative. We understand VIA has plans to upgrade the shelter currently in place, and we are working with them to construct the pad at the new location.”
San Antonio Police also confirmed to KENS 5, 55 people have been killed in pedestrian-involved crashes since January. For comparison, there were 75 pedestrian deaths in all of 2024.