Editor's Note: The video above is from Andrew Vathis' funeral service in February 2019.
SPOKANE, Wash. -- Spokane County installed six new crosswalks on East 57th Avenue thanks to a grant from the state.
Each crosswalk has a pedestrian Island and several STA bus stops have also been added.
Spokane County Outreach Manager Martha Lou Wheatley-Billeter said the project has been in the works for years. She said traffic has increased dramatically in the area and it took two years to get the project going.
One of the crosswalks is located at East 57th Avenue and Hailee Lane. Andrew Vathis, a courtesy clerk at the Albertson's on 57th Avenue and a key player on the Ben & Jerry's Coneheads team at Hoopfest, was struck and killed by a car there back in January.
Wheatley-Billeter said the crash was a tragedy and it hurt knowing a crosswalk was planned for the area.
On June 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Vathis’ family and friends are holding a dedication ceremony. A large rock will be placed outside of Albertson’s to honor him. At the crosswalk, the group will install two signs that say, ‘Andrew’s Crossing.’
They will also collect donations for Second Harvest food bank.