A sharp increase in the number of pedestrian accidents in Stamford, Connecticut, has police officers warning both pedestrians and drivers to watch out for each other.
Jaywalkers have been the main culprit in the most recent pedestrian accidents. Five out of eight Stamford pedestrian accidents in December were caused by pedestrians.
According to Patrol Captain, Tom Wuennermann, “We are starting to see a spike in pedestrians who are not following the rules and in some cases . . . are being completely inattentive to their surroundings.”
December’s pedestrian accidents involved:
- A 41-year-old woman who was hit in a parking lot. She was wearing dark clothing
- A 27-year-old woman who was struck by a driver who stated that headlights blinded him
- A 73-year-old man who was hit while jaywalking
- A 53-year-old woman who was struck in a crosswalk
- A 60-year-old woman who walked into the path of an oncoming car while texting on her cell phone
- Two Stamford high school students who were hit while running across the street to their school
- A 23-year-old man who was hit while crossing a highway in the middle of the block
While the Stamford police department has stepped up enforcement of traffic violations, it is up to every one of us to look out for pedestrians and motorists and obey traffic laws. This means:
- Crossing only at intersections
- Obeying all traffic signals
- Watching for pedestrians in crosswalks
- Putting down your cell phone
- Looking both ways before crossing the street – when walking and driving
Whether we live in Stamford, Fairfield, or another Connecticut city, the best way to prevent most Connecticut pedestrian accidents is for everyone to follow the rules of the road.
Source: Stamford Advocate, “Pedestrian accidents frustrate police,” John Nickerson, Dec. 26, 2011.