Taking big chances to cross IH-35

Just after midnight Wednesday in North Austin, someone called 9-1-1 about a stumbling pedestrian who was hit on the southbound access road trying to get to the other side of Interstate Highway 35.

So far the man has survived, but there have been six pedestrian deaths on this stretch of the highway in the last five years. Jorge Salazar sees people playing chicken with their lives all the time.

"I see cars have to break for the people running across the highway," said Salazar. "So, it's a major problem."

He says one day he'll witness someone lose their life but feels like there's nothing he can do about it.

"I'm too far away to stop them to say, 'Hey, look what's going to happen to you,'" added Salazar. "It's like basically watching somebody play with a gun."

Nearby property owners say people are crossing the highway several times a week, day or night, it makes no difference -- people like Latoya who says she crosses the interstate two or three times day, often with obscenities and loud honks hurled at her.

"It happens a lot," she said "People have to swerve or they might have to hit their brakes or something. It's just hard because of the bus route, because there's no bus that takes you from this side to that side."

Latoya witnessed the Tuesday night accident and saw the victim clinging to his life last night. She said she has crossed her last highway for good.

"I've crossed a lot but, I mean, just seeing that first-hand happen -- that could have been me --  you know, it was just a wake-up [call]," Latoya said.

Austin Police Department and Texas Department of Transportation officials have been discussing ways to take pedestrians off the highway, but barriers, signs and modifications cost money, require planning and approval. So far no formal action plans are in place.