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The local singer was killed in a car accident near Tenth Street and Maple Avenue.
TEMPE, Ariz. — Tempe’s Maple-Ash Neighborhood is demanding safety improvements at the intersection of Tenth Street and Maple Avenue after a woman on a bike was hit and killed.
Melody Mason, 35, lived a life true to her name. She was a regular in venues across Tempe, singing her heart out on stage.
“Melody was, she was a sunflower. She loved every one. She was eccentric and loud and in your face, but she was in your face to tell you how much you were loved,” Melody’s partner Travis Furnald said.
Furnald said music brought the couple together, but anyone who stepped into her light could feel her warmth.
“She connected dots and that was one of those things she did so well,” Furnald said.
Melody’s light burned out last Tuesday.
Tempe Police said she was riding her electric bike near the intersection of Tenth Street and Maple Avenue when she pulled out in front of a car. The car did not have a stop sign and hit Melody. She later died at the hospital.
“I came down that street. Every street corner we went down except for that one had a roundabout,” Furnald said.
Melody’s friends have left flowers and lit candles at the corner where she was hit. On the pole is a plea for the City of Tempe to make safety improvements for cyclists by either adding a roundabout or converting it to a four-way stop sign.
“Here we are citizens, losing another person who’s important to us because we’re not looked at,” Furnald said.
Community members said they’ve been wanting safety improvements at the intersection for some time.
According to police records, there have been four crashes at that intersection since 2011.
Furnald said Melody cared about her community and it’s heartwarming to see her community caring right back.
“She wasn’t silent about anything so I want the loudness of Melody to shine and I want the brightness of her to shine,” Furnald said.
