'I Prayed Over Him': Woman Who Witnessed Man Hit, Killed On Coweta Highway Says Changes Need To Be Made

Coweta police said a man walking across a busy highway was hit and killed by a driver.

A witness said it happened too fast and said something has to change in the area.

The woman said the area is busy, with restaurants and homes nearby with no place to cross safely.

That’s something she said has to change.

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Jakylyn Wapaha said she was waiting for a DoorDash order on Wednesday and had parked by the Arby's on Highway 51 near 131st Street South.

“As I was looking out the window and observing, I hadn't had an order in a while.”

She said she noticed an older man crossing the highway who started to jog, but he didn't make it across before he was hit and killed.

“Three or four strides, all of a sudden he got hit, and it was almost like a movie," she said.

She said she ran over to the man, who Coweta Police say was 69-year-old Howard Johnson.

“I was there when he took his last breath, I prayed over him and told him everything was going to be OK," said Wapaha.

Police shut down the highway to investigate.

Wapaha said it was horrific to watch and she can’t stop thinking about Johnson and his family.

“We need to pay attention to not only pedestrians but to other vehicles pulling out of businesses in that area," said Coweta police chief Michael Bell.

He said the driver did stop and is cooperating and they’re working to see how fast he was going or if any charges will be filed.

With all the restaurants and housing nearby, Wapaha thinks something has to change because she said it’s dangerous.

“There's so much traffic, there should be a stop sign, a light, caution signal, something on this highway," she said, "especially here with all of these restaurants.”

Coweta officers will be doing more traffic enforcement and giving extra citations as it gets warmer outside.