Washington Boulevard in downtown Stamford has been the site of deadly incidents over the years, and around 2:40 a.m. Sunday, it became the site of another potentially fatal crash.

Stamford police said a 73-year-old local man was crossing between Broad and North streets when he was hit in the right southbound lane by a vehicle that never stopped.

Police said the man was hospitalized with very serious, possibly life-threatening injuries. Traffic cameras at the intersection with Broad Street captured the suspect, according to police.

“It was a white van with a blue stripe on it. It was very distinctive, so they knew it took a right onto West Broad Street,” explained Sgt. Jeffrey Booth. “Officers that were working flooded that area and Sgt. Deems, who was working the midnight shift, found that vehicle parked in a parking lot not far from where the crash actually happened.”

Booth said officers ran the van’s license plate, which gave them an owner and a nearby address.

“He admitted he was driving the car previously that evening and did admit to hitting something on the roadway, but that was the only information we were given,” Booth told News 12.

The damage to the van matched the auto parts left at the scene, according to Booth, leading police to arrest 24-year-old Jean Vieux, of Stamford, on a charge of evading responsibility. Vieux posted $100,000 bond. Police said they continue to investigate, looking to see if other factors, such as speeding, played a role in the crash. Based on their findings, Vieux could face more charges.

That stretch is well-lit, but the victim was not in a crosswalk, though there are crosswalks at the intersections to the north and south of his location.

“In Stamford, we don’t call them crosswalks, we call them crosshairs,” said Chris Dawson, of People Friendly Stamford.

The local advocacy group works to create safe, walkable and bikeable neighborhoods, improve transit, reduce car dependency, and support housing abundance.

“When I heard about the latest pedestrian crash on Washington Boulevard, the first thing I thought was, ‘This is roadway malpractice,’” Dawson stated.

About three years ago, two people died while crossing Washington Boulevard at the intersection with Main Street. Their deaths led to a massive outcry from the public to make the road less dangerous.

“We called this ‘The Boulevard of Death,’ and then in this interim period, nothing has changed,” Dawson told News 12. “It really has to do with road engineering. If you have a road that's built for speed, guess what? Drivers are going to go fast."

There have been steps taken toward improvements since the fatalities in December 2022. Washington Boulevard is a state road. In 2023, the Connecticut Department of Transportation did a Road Safety Audit on that corridor and came up with an extensive list of recommended safety changes.

According to a CTDOT spokesperson, “We’re working with the city on safety improvement projects. The administration, design and construction of the projects are the responsibility of the city, following approval of CTDOT.”

The city’s Transportation, Traffic & Parking Department is holding a public meeting next week on the Washington Boulevard and Main Street Intersection Safety Project. Proposed safety improvements include a raised intersection, sidewalk bump outs, a new traffic signal, travel lane reconfiguration, new sidewalks and bioswales, according to the city’s website. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m. in the Sixth Floor Training Room of the Stamford Government Center.