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St. Pete group calls for MLK St. South safety upgrades, vigil to honor 5 deaths

By
FOX 13 News
St. Petersburg
Published August 29, 2026 4:50 PM EDT
Published August 29, 2026 4:50 PM EDT
article

The Brief

    • About 30 residents, activists and local leaders gathered Saturday to remember five people killed along MLK Street South over the past five years.
    • Two of those deaths happened this year, including the recent death of 47-year-old Kendra Dillard.
    • The MLK South Safe Streets Coalition wants the city to invest in more pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A group of St. Petersburg residents is calling for changes along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South after a series of deadly crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists.

Remembering those lost

What we know:

The MLK South Safe Streets Coalition formed last year to bring attention to what members describe as a growing safety problem along the southern portion of the road.

The group began Saturday's gathering by remembering the five people who have died along MLK South over the past five years.

Two of those deaths happened this year.

Kendra Dillard, 47, was killed earlier this month after police say she was struck by a dark-colored sedan while using a marked pedestrian crosswalk. The driver fled the scene.

The family of Tevin Griffin, 32, also attended the gathering. Griffin was killed last year after he was struck by a vehicle.

His mother, Tamika Griffin, said "It's still fresh, it's new, it looks like just happened."

But she said being surrounded by other families and community members provided some comfort.

What neighbors want

What they're saying:

Residents say the southern portion of MLK has safety challenges, including a 35-mph speed limit, limited crosswalks, signs and traffic signals.

The coalition is calling for changes such as additional streetlights, reflectors, speed bumps and other traffic-calming measures.

Members point to MLK Street North as an example of what they would like to see.

That section of the road received safety upgrades in 2018, including protected bike lanes and traffic-calming measures.

The coalition wants the city to consider similar improvements along MLK South.

FOX 13 reached out to the City of St. Petersburg to ask whether that's being considered but had not received a response.

What's next:

The group plans to take its concerns to City Hall during the city's first budget workshop for the next fiscal year on Sept. 3.

Coalition members are encouraging other residents to participate in public comment.

The group plans to meet on the front steps of City Hall at 5:30 p.m. that evening before the meeting begins.

The Source: Information for this story comes from interviews with members of the MLK South Safe Streets Coalition, the families of people killed along the road and Florida House Representative Michele Rayner. Information about Kendra Dillard's death comes from the circumstances described by the coalition and previously reported by FOX 13.

St. Petersburg