Crosswalk collisions stack up in 2005

By: Clover Birdsdell, Senior Staff Writer

Posted: 11/18/05

Students must approach crosswalks with care, on foot and behind the wheel.

Pedestrian traffic accidents have varied in severity from year to year on campus, one in 2003, five in 2004, and six accidents accounted for so far in 2005.

Most of the accidents have been minor, said Lt. Gary Crain, UAPD public information officer. The only pedestrian fatality on record occurred in 2000.

Historically, Maple Street's crosswalks and the intersection of Duncan and Dickson Streets has been notorious for crosswalk accidents in the past, he said.

"Inattention on the part of two people causes the accident," Crain said. "Pedestrians may think the driver has seen them when they really haven't. Sometimes the drivers may be distracted."

According to Arkansas State Law, if a pedestrian is approaching the crosswalk, no matter where it is located, the driver is obligated to yield. The pedestrian always has the right of way.

"The legal obligation is on the driver," Crain said. "The driver is always wrong when they do not yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk."

The most recent pedestrian crosswalk accident occurred at approximately 3:40 p.m., Oct. 9.

Alexis Junkerman's car, a Dodge Stratus, was stopped at the intersection at Stadium Drive coming down the ramp from the Garland parking deck. She looked to the left and saw no vehicles coming, so she started to turn right.

Amy Jackson was walking south approaching the intersection and saw that the car was stopped, so she then entered the cross walk.

William Blankenship, a junior philosophy and psychology major, witnessed the accident and gave his account via e-mail.

Blankenship noted the car was speeding and had run the stop sign located directly outside of the parking deck.

"I didn't really think anything of it; there are a lot of bad drivers here and everyone runs that stop sign," he wrote.

"We get down the hill to the stop sign on Stadium Drive where the Stratus was going to turn right, without turn signal. They actually stopped on the crosswalk and had to wait for a little traffic and, as they were waiting, a small woman began to walk in front of the vehicle."

Blankenship said the red Stratus stopped at the crosswalk and waited for traffic to pass.

"As soon as the last truck went by on Stadium Drive, the Stratus accelerated into the road," Blankenship wrote.

"The good news was that the woman was pretty much on the Stratus bumper when it accelerated, so the speed of the Stratus was minimal when it made impact. The bad news was that the Stratus didn't seem to notice for a full few seconds."

Junkerman stopped her vehicle.

"I just sat there with my jaw dropped as the woman rolled around on the hood of the Stratus," Blankenship continued.

"When the driver finally noticed, the woman landed safely on her feet. She seemed a little rattled, but not really hurt. She came around to the already opened driver's side door of the Stratus and exclaimed, 'Oh my god, did you even see me?' She seemed on the brink of tears."

Blankenship wrote, "If this continues, it may not be long before a serious accident occurs.

"People should focus on the road, and not on how loud they can get their exhaust to reverberate in the parking deck or how their make-up looks, the person you hit won't care, and neither will their lawyer."

The two exchanged information.

Jackson walked to her room at Pomfret Hall and called UAPD from there. She did not want to get medical attention and told the officer that if she needed anything later she would go to the University Health Center or Washington Regional Medical Center.

Blankenship wrote, "I think it was a pretty minor accident, but I've been hearing about people getting hit in crosswalks all semester, much more than any time before."