MIDDLEBORO – Rapid flashing beacon lights have been installed at the Hannaford Intersection where 15-year-old Middleboro High School freshman Dylan Leveque was fatally struck while crossing Route 28.

Flashing beacons can reduce crashes involving pedestrians by up to 47 percent, and increase the rates that drivers yield by nearly 100 percent, according to the Federal Highway Administration

Town Manager Jay McGrail explained during the Monday, Oct. 23 Select Board meeting that the flashing beacons are “not the final piece to solving this puzzle.”

“I have already reached out to MassDot for an update on the study pertaining to the long term re-design or new traffic light that will be installed at that intersection,” said McGrail.

The town lacks jurisdiction over the road, McGrail noted, because it is a state highway. Any changes to the location would have to be approved by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

Residents and town officials at the Select Board meeting the day after the accident described that area of Route 28 as especially dangerous.

Dylan Levesque, a 15-year-old Middleboro High School freshman, was struck by a vehicle as he crossed the street Sunday, May 14 on Route 28 near Hannaford Plaza. He succumbed to his injuries Tuesday, May 16.

Now that the flashing beacons have been installed, McGrail explained that the next steps are to conduct a safety study and implement any changes deemed necessary.