Looking at the cases of four pedestrians and a bicyclist killed by drivers within less than a mile on State Street in Harrisburg recently, one thing stands out.

All of the recent collisions happened after dark. Three deaths occurred about 7 p.m., one at 9:30 p.m. and one in the middle of the night.

Police and the city engineer previously have cited poor lighting as among the conditions that makes State Street ripe for tragedy. As it stands, the road is too wide, city officials say, not only for pedestrians to be able to quickly get out of harm's way, but to be able to illuminate such a large area.

The wide expanse also encourages speeding, which is why a "significant redesign," of the state road is going to be necessary to make it safer for pedestrians, said Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

"The best answer," he said, "is to redesign the road into more of a pedestrian-friendly boulevard."

But the street is owned by the state and controlled by PennDOT, so the city is limited with any changes it can make.

City officials on Thursday rolled out flashing billboard signs to post along State Street to alert drivers to their speeds, hoping to slow down drivers, Papenfuse said. City officials also are investigating light levels along the street to consider any "straightforward" lighting upgrades, Papenfuse said, but any big changes must be studied and approved so as not to inadvertently provide harmful glare for drivers.

Cracking down on jaywalking is something else police could do, Papenfuse said, but the city already is facing low officer staffing.

Although some readers complained about pedestrians darting into lanes of traffic at various locations in the city, including State Street, drivers should avoid distractions and travel at a safe speed where they can brake without taking a life, said City Engineer Wayne Martin.

It's easy to blame the pedestrians, he said, when they aren't around to defend themselves.

"It's unfortunate that some people are focused on whether the victim was following the letter of the law yet little attention is focused on whether the driver was distracted."

In at least two of the recent fatal cases along the state-owned road, police determined that the driver was at fault.

Cynthia Wilson, 62, was the latest victim to be killed when she tried to cross the street Monday, apparently to go to the store. She was among two residents of State Street who died in the past 17 months after being hit by drivers near their homes.

Residents of State Street said they fear parking, entering or exiting their vehicles or approaching State Street in general because of the speed of the traffic that barrels down upon them. One resident said many of the people struck on State Street are very familiar with the road, and have been crossing it their whole lives, yet that offers no protection.

"It can be your lucky day to get across, or it can be your last day on earth," said Lisa Jenkins, whose son was struck and injured last year.

City officials have successfully lobbied to get that section of State Street included in a traffic safety study that started in Camp Hill after a 66-year-old woman and her two dogs were killed by a suspected drunken driver in December 2016 on Cumberland Boulevard.

State route 3014 in Camp Hill covers Cumberland Boulevard, the Camp Hill Bypass,and the Harvey Taylor Bridge, Forster Street and State Street. The entire route now will be studied for safety improvements, said Steve Deck, executive director of Tri County Regional Planning. Deck noted that State and Forster streets are similarly wide and could have similar short and long-term solutions. There is money earmarked with the study for solutions, he said.

"It's a significant concern," he said of the "crash cluster" on State Street.

Here are the details of each recent fatality:

Sean Guider, 50

Guider lived with his mother near 18th and State streets when he walked to the store Oct. 16, 2016. On his return walk home, as he crossed State Street at 17th Street in a crosswalk, a driver turning left wasn't paying attention and veered into opposing traffic to avoid another driver.

Sean Guider

The driver cut the corner too sharply, police said, and struck Guider about 7 p.m. The driver was at fault, police said.

Guider was taking classes at Harrisburg Area Community College to work in culinary arts. He was an avid Philadelphia Eagles fan and enjoyed gospel music and cooking, according to his obituary. He was survived by his parents. His mother Emma Guider said she misses her son terribly and thinks State Street is dangerously wide.

Charles Gibbs Jr., 56

Gibbs also may have lived near State Street and was trying to cross at North 16th Street when he was hit about 7:30 p.m. Dec. 19, 2016. There was no crosswalk available at that intersection.

As he crossed the westbound lanes, a westbound driver hit him, police said. The driver told police he did not notice Gibbs in the roadway.

Gibbs went by the nickname, "JR," and had lived in Harrisburg more than a decade after growing up in New York.

"He worked hard to stay positive and was always looking to lend a hand where needed," according to his obituary. "JR loved animals and was kind to children. He loved the Pittsburgh Steelers and whichever team won the NBA playoffs the year before."

Gibbs frequented the Downtown Daily Bread, where he was well-liked.

Donald Welsh, 27

Witnesses reported Welsh was riding his bicycle along State Street about 9:30 p.m. May 25, 2017 when he was struck. He had been in the left lane, traveling east, weaving back and forth across the lane of travel, police said.

Donald Welsh

Several witnesses told police they could not see the bicyclist until the last moment due to a lack of reflectors or lights on his bike.

His nickname was "Bubba," he previously attended Bishop McDevitt High School and was employed by the Midtown Scholar. According to his obituary, "He was the loving uncle to 12 nieces and nephews and was his happiest when spending time with them...He also loved taking hikes up the mountain and spending time with family in the country."

He was survived by his parents, three brothers and five sisters.

Naya Griffin, 24

Naya Griffin was walking along the State Street Bridge about 2 a.m. June 10, 2017, when a speeding, out-of-control vehicle hit her.

Deon Lamont Jenkins, 36, was charged with vehicular homicide and related charges in connection with her death. He allegedly was driving at 70 mph, more than twice the legal speed limit, when he slammed into her.

The impact threw Griffin's body onto the south sidewalk. Jenkins had been arguing with this girlfriend and driving recklessly, witnesses testified.

Jenkins reportedly drove away from the carnage, but later was arrested by police. Police believe Jenkins was at a bar on Verbeke Street before the crash.

Cynthia Wilson, 62

Wilson left her apartment in the 1400 block of State Street just before 7 p.m. Monday March 5, apparently planning to head to the neighborhood store. She left her lights on and her television on, anticipating that she would be right back to spend the evening with her four cats, according to her upstairs neighbor.

But Wilson couldn't make it safely across all five lanes of traffic and was struck in the eastbound lanes as she crossed southbound. There was no crosswalk available at that intersection.

She suffered fatal head injuries that made her unrecognizable and injuries to her legs. Police are still investigating the collision. Police said they are inspecting the vehicle involved and checking data from the vehicle against the driver's version of events.

Police were not available Thursday to answer a question about whether they routinely check cell phones of drivers involved in fatalities.