Family, friends mourn St. Paul man at intersection where he, his dog were killed

Staff Report, Pioneer Press
Updated ·1 min read
5

Friends and family of Steve Wirtz, a St. Paul man who was struck and killed while crossing a street darkened by copper wire theft, held a candlelight vigil for him Saturday evening at the intersection where he died.

Wirtz, 64, and his 2-year-old German shepherd, Gunther, were killed shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday — Christmas Eve — while they were out for a quick walk in their North End neighborhood.

The 45-year-old driver who hit Wirtz and Gunther cooperated with authorities at the scene. The stretch of Maryland Avenue recently got a new pedestrian median, freshly painted crosswalk, signage and bump-outs designed to make it safer for pedestrians, but a new streetlight at Park Street was not connected because its copper wiring had been stolen, city officials said.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Ramsey County officials issued statements of condolence, with Carter calling for “state policy to help prevent tragedies like this in the future.” Carter also attended Saturday’s vigil for Wirtz.

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