Roseville police seek witnesses of fatal pedestrian crash

ROSEVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Roseville Police Department is hoping to talk to the drivers or passengers who may have witnessed a crash on Larpenteur Avenue that left two people dead Thursday night. 

Shortly after 5:30 p.m., a dark blue GMC Sierra pickup truck struck two pedestrians at the intersection of Larpenteur Avenue and Woodbridge Court. Police have identified the victims as Robert Buxton, 47, of Roseville and Meredith Aikens, 45, also of Roseville. 

On Friday, loved ones stopped by the crash scene, leaving behind flowers to honor those who were lost.

“I was like, 'my godmom lives in that center building - something doesn’t feel right,' so I started calling her phone, calling her phone, calling her phone and she didn’t pick up,” said Davonte Wilks, Aikens' godson.

“I’ve been thinking of her all day, it’s just another life that’s lost,” said LaKeisha Ivy, Aikens' friend. “She was a happy person. She was always laughing."

The 72-year-old driver who struck the pedestrians stayed at the scene. He is cooperating with police. Investigators are trying to determine whether alcohol was a factor in the crash. 

Police released a surveillance video of the intersection which shows three vehicles in the area before and after the crash. Detectives are asking to talk to the drivers and any passengers in the following vehicles:

• A white SUV (seen in the video at 5:34:20 p.m.) that was initially southbound on Rice Street and turned right onto westbound Larpenteur Avenue. The vehicle was likely in the area just before the crash occurred. 
• A white or silver sedan (seen in the video at 5:34:31 p.m.) that was initially northbound on Rice Street and turned left onto westbound Larpenteur Avenue. The vehicle likely drove by the scene immediately after the crash. 
• White or silver sedan (seen on the video at 5:34:38 p.m.) that was just behind the other sedan. It was initially northbound on Rice Street and then turned left onto westbound Larpenteur Avenue. It also likely drove by the scene immediately after the crash. 

Police are also looking to speak with a pedestrian who talked to a St. Paul police officer, but left the scene before officers were able to identify him or obtain a statement. He was wearing a green jacket. 

The crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Roseville Police Department at 651-767-0640. 

According to Ramsey County officials, there are plans in the works to make the Larpenteur Avenue and Rice Street area more pedestrian-friendly. One of the ideas proposed in a study done last year would make Larpenteur Ave. west of Rice into three lanes, instead of four. That would make for more room along the shoulders of the road and a pedestrian-friendly median in the center lane. There are also plans to add more sidewalks.