[Vision2020] [Bulk] Re: one injured in bop-a-student crossing

[Sue Hovey]

A few days ago I witnessed a near tragedy at the same spot.  A young man 
stepped into the crosswalk without hitting the light or even waiting until 
the nearby traffic had cleared.   I saw him and  by the time I got my pickup 
stopped I was nearly in the crosswalk myself, but the driver of the truck to 
my left did not see him--could not have seen him because of the glare of the 
sun and the fact that I was blocking his view, and continued on. Another 
instant or two and the student would have been hit, and from my perspective 
there is no way that driver could have been at fault.  I agree with Bev.  We 
need a better solution to this hazardous problem.

Sue H.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Rumelhart" <godshatter at yahoo.com>
To: <joekc at roadrunner.com>
Cc: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 7:48 AM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] [Bulk] Re: one injured in bop-a-student crossing


> This definitely a dangerous intersection.  The number of lanes makes it
> hard to tell where the actual pedestrian is and means a long pedestrian
> walk across, and the double lanes make some aggressive drivers think
> they are in a Nascar race.  The lights help a little bit, but I've seen
> one student use the lights, then another student on the other side
> starts out and the light stop while they are in the middle of the
> crosswalk.
>
> Something has really got to be done about this.  I echo Bev's idea of
> getting all three players (State, City, and University) to come together
> on a solution.  I understand that it is the State's road there, but it's
> in the City's and the University's best interests to help with the
> funding for the appropriate solution, whatever that may be.
>
> Paul
>
> P.S.  I tend to think of it as the "Frogger" intersection, referencing
> the old 80's arcade game.
>
> joekc at roadrunner.com wrote:
>> This pedestrian crossing is a total mess. The problem is that half the 
>> people stop and half of them don't.
>>
>> And the kids, thinking they will live forever, cross no matter what!
>>
>> You are right, at the very least a traffic light is needed.
>>
>> --
>> Joe Campbell
>>
>> ---- Bev Bafus <bevbafus at verizon.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Sorry for the flip name, but that is what my family calls this very
>>> dangerous pedestrian crossing.  I would like to see the City of Moscow, 
>>> the
>>> University of Idaho and the Idaho State Transporation Department work
>>> together to solve this issue.  Ideally, this would involve construction 
>>> of a
>>> pedestrian bridge over Highway 8 - or at a bare minimum, a stoplight.
>>>
>>> The City created this mess by allowing all the apartments on the north 
>>> side
>>> of Highway 8.
>>>
>>> Bev Bafus
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> from the Lewiston Tribune---
>>>
>>> UI student seriously injured
>>> Victim airlifted to Spokane following car-pedestrian accident Tribune
>>>
>>>
>>> Tuesday, September 23, 2008
>>>
>>> MOSCOW - A Coeur d'Alene man attending the University of Idaho was 
>>> severely
>>> injured when a car hit him in a Moscow crosswalk Monday around noon, the
>>> Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported.
>>>
>>> James R. Hazelton, 20, is listed in satisfactory condition at Sacred 
>>> Heart
>>> Medical Center in Spokane, where he was airlifted after the accident, 
>>> Moscow
>>> Assistant Police Chief David Duke told the newspaper.
>>>
>>> Duke didn't return phone calls from the Lewiston Tribune seeking details 
>>> on
>>> the accident. Duke told the Daily News that Pullman resident John P. 
>>> Hunt,
>>> 85, struck Hazelton with a 1999 Dodge Intrepid. Hunt was cited for 
>>> failure
>>> to yield to a pedestrian.
>>>
>>> Off-duty Lewiston Tribune reporter David Johnson was stopped at the
>>> crosswalk on West Pullman Road at the Stinker gas station and witnessed 
>>> the
>>> accident. Johnson said he saw Hazelton enter the crosswalk walking 
>>> south.
>>>
>>> The crosswalk's warning lights had been activated and other motorists 
>>> had
>>> stopped, but one car traveling about 30 mph kept going, Johnson said.
>>>
>>> "It didn't brake and hit him," he said. "He flew up in the air and
>>> cartwheeled at least once."
>>>
>>> Hazelton landed about 50 feet from where he was hit, said Johnson, who
>>> immediately called 911 on his cell phone. He said Hunt slowed and turned
>>> into the Tri-State store parking lot while bystanders and motorists 
>>> rushed
>>> to Hazelton's aid.
>>>
>>> Johnson said a police motorcycle unit was on the scene in about a 
>>> minute,
>>> and was quickly followed by other emergency personnel.
>>>
>>> Hazelton suffered massive leg trauma, Duke told the Moscow newspaper. 
>>> The UI
>>> directory lists Hazelton as a junior in the School of Journalism and 
>>> Mass
>>> Media.
>>>
>>> New warning lights and signs were recently installed at the crosswalk to
>>> help protect pedestrians.
>>>
>>> =======================================================
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>>>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>>                http://www.fsr.net
>>>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> =======================================================
>>>
>>
>> =======================================================
>>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
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>>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>> =======================================================
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>>
>
>
> =======================================================
> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>               http://www.fsr.net
>          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> =======================================================
>