Friends and family of Steve Wirtz, a St. Paul man who was struck and killed while crossing a street darkened by copper wire theft, held a candlelight vigil for him Saturday evening at the intersection where he died.

Wirtz and his dog, Gunther, were killed shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday — Christmas Eve — while they were out for a quick walk in their neighborhood.

The 45-year-old driver who hit Wirtz and Gunther cooperated with authorities at the scene. The intersection recently got a new pedestrian median, freshly painted crosswalk, signage and bump-outs designed to make it safer for pedestrians, but the new streetlight was not working because its copper wiring had been stolen, city officials said.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Ramsey County officials issued statements of condolence, with Carter calling for “state policy to help prevent tragedies like this in the future.”

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