Atlanta family’s $12 million lawsuit over downtown Peachtree Street death renews focus on crosswalk delays
A wrongful-death claim targets a downtown corridor where a pilot crosswalk was installed, then removed
The family of Pradeep Sood has filed a $12 million wrongful-death lawsuit against the City of Atlanta, alleging the city’s handling of a downtown Peachtree Street crossing contributed to his death and left pedestrians exposed to ongoing risk.
Sood was struck and killed on Feb. 11, 2025, while crossing Peachtree Street near the Peachtree Center MARTA station. Family members have said he routinely used the mid-block crossing to reach businesses in the Peachtree Center area; the family has operated a showroom at AmericasMart for more than two decades.
What the lawsuit alleges
Court filings described by local reporting say the family contends the city misled pedestrians by allowing a crosswalk to remain in a faded condition rather than removing it or restoring it with clearer markings and other safety measures. The family is seeking $12 million in damages.
After Sood’s death, the faded crossing area was paved over during resurfacing work. The lawsuit has amplified scrutiny of how quickly—and by what process—Atlanta restores or redesigns pedestrian crossings on high-volume streets.
How the crossing became a flashpoint
The contested crossing was created in 2021 as part of a mid-block crosswalk pilot intended to improve pedestrian safety on Peachtree Street in downtown. City officials later removed the pilot in 2022, returning the street to a more vehicle-oriented configuration. Even after those changes, remnants of crosswalk paint remained for an extended period, fading over time.
In early March 2025, City Council members introduced a resolution requesting the installation of a permanent mid-block pedestrian crossing at the location. Subsequent council action sought to restore the crossing, and councilmember Matt Westmoreland has publicly described frustration with delays following a city council resolution passed in March 2025 and an expectation communicated to elected officials that work could be completed by late June 2025.
City response and timeline now under debate
In mid-February 2026, the city’s transportation leadership indicated the Department of City Planning would lead public engagement sessions before installations tentatively scheduled to begin in fall 2026. The timeline has drawn pushback from some elected officials and pedestrian-safety advocates, who argue the location’s daily foot traffic and history of informal crossings warrant faster interim measures.
The mayor’s office has said it would be inappropriate to comment on pending litigation.
What happens next
The lawsuit will proceed through the courts, where the city will have an opportunity to respond to the allegations.
City Council is expected to revisit a resolution related to the crosswalk and associated safety improvements in February 2026.
Separately from the litigation, the city’s planning and transportation agencies are expected to outline engagement steps and the scope of proposed safety changes along the corridor ahead of the tentative fall 2026 installation window.
“Saying something is going to happen, promising to make something happen, is just not enough anymore. We need to see action.”
The case arrives amid broader public debate in Atlanta over how to balance vehicle throughput with pedestrian safety in the city’s busiest commercial and transit-connected streets, and how quickly pilot projects translate into permanent infrastructure after serious injuries or deaths.