‘It’s real tough’: Friends remember man killed on The Plaza, call for safety improvements

CHARLOTTE — It’s been a deadly time for senior pedestrians in Charlotte, with at least three deaths in the past couple of weeks.

The most recent one happened along The Plaza near 36th Street, where Sugar Ray Robinson lost his life on Monday.

The 65-year-old was crossing The Plaza when he was hit by a car.

“Oh it’s real tough, I’ve been thinking about it ever since Monday night,” said Norman Carter, Robinson’s best friend. “All the guys was up there, it’s been rough on us.”

Carter was friends with Robinson for more than 50 years. They were roommates at one point and stayed friends as they built their lives.

“Well we grew up together and stuff; I got him a job at City Chevrolet,” Carter said.

He told Channel 9′s Glenn Counts that Robinson’s death has been hard to deal with.

“I ain’t got over it yet, not yet. A whole lot of people are still crying about it,” Carter said.

Carter and Robinson and their retired friends would hang out daily along this section of The Plaza. Carter says he saw the accident.

“When I looked up where those telephone lines is, he was just up in the air, just flipping and flipping ‘til he landed right in front of Giant Penny,” Carter said.

He rushed over to try and save his friend.

“I know it was over ‘cause when he landed, we all ran down there and try to see what. He was breathing a little bit, then he died, just like that,” Carter said.

Police say the driver who hit Robinson stayed at the scene and spoke with officers. He passed a sobriety test, and so far, police have not charged him. Police said Robinson wasn’t in the crosswalk when he was hit.

Carter thinks drivers go way too fast along this section of The Plaza. He said it’s a tough way to lose your best friend.

“They need to put something down there to slow the cars down really, ‘cause they are flying down there all day like they are racing,” Carter said.

As of Friday, a small memorial marks the spot where Robinson was killed.

(VIDEO: Juneteenth celebrations kick off in Plaza Midwood)

Juneteenth celebrations kick off in Plaza Midwood

©2024 Cox Media Group