Pedestrian struck on Water Street
A pedestrian was struck in the 100 block of West Water Street just after 1pm. The incident occurred as a female pedestrian crossed mid-block in front of the Chloe boutique, according to a witness, who says the driver of the car stopped for several minutes and spoke with the pedestrian, who'd been knocked to the ground but appeared to have suffered no serious injuries.
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16 comments
I wrote a letter last year to the editor about this and it was printed.It's a road!There are heavy vehicles moving along the road.Open your eyes and don't walk in front of these heavy moving vehicles.It's a road.
If people gitting hit and/or killed while riding bikes or walking around the area doesn't get someones attention then i don't think a ticket will either. Everyone needs to pay better attention; drivers, bicyclists, pedistrians alike! Just yesterday i saw someone almost hit a girl jogging in the UVA area and then later in Earlysville saw a person pull out and just barely miss a biker. Its not just pedistrians and bicyclists not paying attention it is drivers too. But when both parties are not on their game thats when we have accidents.
Here's one for you. Was walking down Locust Avenue last week and standing in the crosswalk waiting to cross as a Charlottesville Police Department Jeep whizzed by going 30+ at least (speed limit in that zone is 25) but no siren lights on, mind you, so it's not like he was trying to get to a call, he was just cruising in a regular way. And the police driver was on a *cell phone* to boot, while driving, and totally did not stop for me in the cross walk. Whizzed on by like I wasn't even there.
If he were a regular citizen he should have been fined/ticketed on three levels. Driving while talking on a cell phone, driving over the 25 mph speed limit on Locust, and not yielding to a pedestrian in the cross walk.
This is not surprising. Many pedestrian's just step out to cross without looking and expect vehicles to stop on a dime. Market Street and Water street are very congested and its hard to see when you have so many cars, trucks and delivery trucks blocking your view. I hope whomever was struck is okay. All people need to be careful in this area whether you are walking or driving.
And why is this news? Dummy went into the road without a crosswalk, got hit, and is OK. Crap happens.
People should be more careful when they are walking. I have driven many good miles in my car; license plate reads SONICHU after my Creation Sonichu The Electric Hedgehog Pokemon. On numerous times I have come close to hitting people walking in the street. I am High-Functionally Autistic and I do not think people understand that I am not always in the correct lane IT'S NOT MY FAULT! I do not Appreciate yelling and rude name calling! Also if anyone went to Manchester High School class of 2000; please get in touch with me so that I can make the 10 Year Reunion happen! It must happen! I can be reached during daytime on my cellphone. My digits are 434-760-0848. Bonus Stars if you are an Old Special Gal Pal. :-*
From the article, it sounds fortunate the pedestrian was not seriously injured. Perhaps next time, she'll use the cross walks instead of crossing the street mid-block.
Gawd. This has to be the most boring news article I've ever read. Editors, nothing more interesting happened in Charlottesville this week? No, really.
Jaywalkers take their life and others' into their own hands. There is a reason why it is illegal to cross mid-street and not yield to vehicles. It's too bad they threaten bikers and motorists when they make the choice to break the law.
They choose to break the law because the laws against pedestrian movement are NOT enforced in this town. A cop in plain clothes could sit at one of the tables beside Fellini's and write tickets all night long. On a Friday or Saturday they could take in $10,000 to $20,000 in fines and costs, and send a message to the pedestrian community.
I will never understand the logic of it all. The cop shoppe targeted UVA students for illegally crossing train tracks at the corner. But the much more dangerous actions by pedestrians elsewhere in the city are totally ignored.
I don't know if they still do but the police used to regularly ticket pedestrians for crossing the railroad track there close to LexisNexis/National Optronics.
Crossing railroad tracks is considered trespassing on privately-owned property and has nothing to do with traffic laws.
As for crossing at crosswalks-NEVER ASSUME people will stop, as so many drivers do not.
At the same time, its helpful if pedestrians make themselves visible at the crosswalk, since ,as someone said, drivers can't stop on a dime.
There is no substitute for safe street crossing than the old rule of "look both ways,right and left"(and sometimes other directions too). Do that and you can cross anywhere, even 29 North(though may have a bit of a wait sometimes).
HollowBoy, I said the laws concerning "pedestrian movement" are not enforced in this city (except of course when they singled out the UVA students for crossing the railroad tracks).
Correct, crossing the tracks is not jaywalking, but it's still a "pedestrian movement".
Well, hold on about enforcing laws about pedestrian movement. As a major pedestrian I go all over the place and cross streets where I please, but there's a difference. The difference: I pay attention to course and speed of cars and when I see a gap I move and move fast. Ya got to scoot.
What I see though are numb-nutz pedestrians who meander and sashay into traffic and, yes, do expect people to stop for them. Cell phones and ear buds don't help much either. As a motorist I stop to let people cross, then watch them amble with exaggerated slowness across the road. Under the same circumstances I go fast and gesture thanks to the driver. I think many people have serious problems with basic manners as they go about in public, and of course we've had this conversation about people on bikes as well.
I don't spend much time near downtown, but I drive around UVA a lot and those students risk their lives without even thinking about it.
I have a million stories but the best has to be the girl with earbuds walking up the exact middle of a side street near the stadium. I idled behind her for a good five seconds, then went around and she looked shocked that there had been a vehicle there. She is lucky I pay attention when I drive (usually).
I know you have to be smart to get into UVA. But the way teens and 20somethings drive, texting and making calls, it is a matter of time before something bad happens. I am surprised no UVA students have been seriously injured.
I remember a CPD officer giving out tickets like candy at the Corner crosswalk several years back. Bet he blew his quota out of the water.