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D.C. cop pleads with pedestrians: Pay attention

By: Michael Neibauer
Examiner Staff Writer
February 18, 2009

Three people have been struck at the intersection of Nebraska and Connecticut avenues NW in the past year, causing a policeman to ask pedestrians to use more caution. (Examiner File)
In the wake of another pedestrian struck, a D.C. police officer has offered a fairly blunt assessment of the often dangerous behavior of those who share the road: Walkers and drivers simply don’t pay attention anymore.

Officer David Baker posted his opinion on the 2nd District newsgroup on Feb. 6, four days after a 64-year-old woman was struck by a car as she crossed the Nebraska Avenue intersection with Connecticut Avenue Northwest. She suffered a fractured pelvis and lacerations to her forehead, police said, while the driver was ticketed for a “peripheral violation” involving a yellow light.

She was the third pedestrian struck at the intersection in a year — the two previous victims died.

Some vehicles do speed through that busy crossing, Baker said, but most average 34 to 37 mph. The speed limit there is 30 mph. As he surveyed the site with his radar gun, Baker said he watched pedestrian after pedestrian stroll by listening to their iPods and talking on their cell phones, crossing against the walk signal and stepping into the crosswalk in anticipation of a walk signal.

“As I have mentioned before, technology is a good thing but it has its faults too,” Baker wrote. “People walking and driving are not aware of their surroundings as much as they should be. I believe that is why there is a spike in pedestrians being struck and folks being robbed. The area is the same; the traffic pattern is the same; but the habits of drivers and pedestrians have changed.”

Two of the 15 pedestrians who died in traffic accidents in 2008 were hit at the Nebraska/Connecticut crossing. Charles Schwartz, 85, was struck and killed near the intersection last October. Gloria Nahid, 64, died there last March.

The D.C. Department of Transportation installed variable message boards at the intersection last fall with warnings such as “Slow Down” and “Watch for Pedestrians,” said Karyn LeBlanc, DDOT spokeswoman. Pedestrians were also told, through new signs, to use the crosswalks, while the crosswalks and pavement markings were “refreshed,” LeBlanc said. More minor changes are to come this spring.

“It’s a dangerous intersection regardless, it seems to me,” said Henry Griffin, an advisory neighborhood commissioner whose district includes a part of the intersection. “I certainly wouldn’t lay it only at the feet of pedestrians who have earphones on or are on their cell phones.”

The ANC, Griffin said, has asked transportation officials to present potential options for shoring up the safety of the intersection.


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Reader Comments

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concerned citizen

Feb 18, 2009

shoot, we keep breeding them dumber and dumber...and the officer IS right, though technology doesn't have it's faults, it's the fruit-loops USING the technology. I worked in Downtown Baltimore for a few years, and the crosswalks were constantly used by people on iPods, cell-phones, and with CAMERA'S for goodness sakes!! They think that just because they're in a crosswalk, life around them should come to a halt until they get JUST-THE-RIGHT-SHOT! geez, common sense AND common courtesy are DEAD, especially in the Balto/DC areas.

 

Tenleytown Resident

Feb 18, 2009

Court precedent provides that drivers have the primary responsibility to watch for pedestrians when pedestrians are crossing at intersections. The basic reason for this is that drivers are much more likely to injury or kill someone else than pedestrians are. Yes, pedestrains should always be cognizant of their surroundings. Perhaps they should turn of phones and remove ear buds. However, when they are crossing at a crosswalk and have a signal to cross, there is no excuse for drivers to hit them. Pay attention, drivers. Yielding to pedestrians before turning right on red won't make your trip that much longer.

 

Tracey

Feb 18, 2009

What do you propose deaf people do? They can't hear and yet they would be given the same advice correct? The point is to pay attention. You can try blaming ipods but I have a hunch that even without them they wouldn't notice the car speeding at them because they're not paying attention period.

 

nevermindtheend

Feb 18, 2009

Officer Baker attributes the problem to technology, but I doubt that the pedestrians hit at this intersection (ages 64-85) were listening to ipods or chatting on cell phones.

 

Feb 18, 2009

THIS IS RIDICULOUS! When a car hits another car, fault is assigned. But hey, drivers are free to hit peds and cyclists at will! Have at em!

 

Feb 18, 2009

Two of the 15 pedestrians who died in traffic accidents in 2008 - THIS WAS IN DC? 15 PEOPLE DIED IN DC??? WHY IS THERE NOT A RIOT ABOUT THIS??

 

Emily

Feb 19, 2009

While I agree that IPods and cell phones are dangerous and may contribute to pedestrian accidents, I highly doubt that pedestrians, such as those sighted in the article- two 64 year olds and an 85 year old- were listening to Ipods or talking on their cell phones. I live on Connecticut Ave near the Nebraska Ave intersection and repeatedly have almost been struck, or forced to run for my life as cars whiz by oblivious of crosswalks and the law that requires them to yield. This especially happens in crosswalks without lights. Yellow lights mean slow down and prepare to stop. Not speed up and get through the light.

 

ah

Feb 19, 2009

Note in his comments that he also identified drivers as being distracted by cell phones. It's not just pedestrians who don't pay attention.

 

Speeding...?

Feb 19, 2009

"...Some vehicles do speed through that busy crossing, Baker said, but most average 34 to 37 mph. The speed limit there is 30 mph..." Since when is 4-7 miles/hr over the speed limit not speeding???

 

dd

Feb 20, 2009

Blame the victim, blame the victim, blame the victim, la la la. Hello? How about the person operating the multi-ton machine has a greater duty than the pedestrian? Especially in a city?! Cops need to get out of cars and see the real world. Actually, everyone does.

 

Officer Baker

Feb 20, 2009

Well I see I touched off a storm of responses. I never said 4-7 mph over the limit was not speeding. I also never said the folks that were hit at this intersection were listening to Ipods or on their cell phones. The 2 most recent folks that were hit were not in the crosswalk when they were hit.I am a trafffic officer that is what I do. I am not pro car or pro pedestrian I am in the middle. Cars should obey the law just as should pedestrians. I was just stating that the traffic patterns in the city have not changed. Peoples habits have changed.

 

Feb 21, 2009

Because of the lethality of their machines, it would seem that drivers have a special extra burden to be the more responsible party here. There's no way for a pedestrian to stop a car. (of course it goes without saying that all pedestrians need to protect their lives. But they cannot stop the driver from behaving carelessly. Only the driver can do that.) So when you say that you are 50/50 split down the middle fairly between driver and pedestrian, Officer Baker, quite frankly that worries me.

 

8-Man

Feb 23, 2009

Everyone assumes that the driver can always see the pedestrian. In many cases, pedestrians dart into traffic, against their walk signal from in between cars or from behind mailboxes, light poles, etc. Is it so hard to just wait until your light turns white? Are pedestrians so impatient they are willing to risk their lives to save 10 or 20 seconds?

 

Feb 23, 2009

8 man, the three pedestrians hit at Nebraska and Connecticut recently were all in the crosswalk. Legally.

 

Jacob

Mar 3, 2009

The trued is that there is no safe way for pedestrians to cross the street safely. You can have walk, and suddenly a vehicle whose driver is in a hurry, comes speeding and turns in recklessly, jeopardizing the life of the crossing pedestrian. In streets which dos not have more then 4 lanes, I am always jaywalking, since I almost got once killed at an intersection. Everyday people get killed in crosswalks from turning vehicles. The law which says that vehicle and pedestrians should get along between themselves (Who ever is coming first should yield the rite of way for the other one), only means more dead pedestrians. By each intersection, it must be a minute that the light is red for the vehicles of both sides of the streets, and only pedestrians should have the rite of way

 


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