EVERETT — It’s a face-off that happens far too often: car versus pedestrian. And when cars don’t yield to people using crosswalks, the pedestrian always loses.
“Pedestrians end up being the worst affected even if they’re crossing properly,” said officer Aaron Snell, an Everett Police Department spokesman.
Everett’s Traffic Safety Unit set out to catch cars in the act in late September — making 22 traffic stops and issuing 18 citations over the course of a week. Officers were looking for drivers not yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks.
The Traffic Safety Unit emphasizes specific laws and situations. Earlier in September, the focus was on school zones. In 2018, officers went after jaywalking.
The department gave the public a heads-up on Twitter before beginning the patrols this time around.
“While officers are out on patrol, they’re not always looking specifically for violations,” Snell said. “You have to be in the right place in the right time.”
Officers are often responding to 911 calls rather than looking for drivers ignoring crosswalk rights-of-way.
This week, the Traffic Safety Unit will start focusing on areas where there have been car -vs- pedestrian collisions and ticket drivers who do not yield for pedestrians… Always be alert – especially at intersections. #SafeStreets pic.twitter.com/AVwH8QtPLb
— Everett Police (@EverettPolice) September 23, 2019
“When there’s an emphasis patrol, that’s when they are more focused on those specific violations,” Snell said.
The unit concentrated its efforts along Broadway because there’s a history of pedestrians being struck there, he said.
On Sept. 17, a Jeep hit a person in a motorized scooter on 13th Street and Broadway. The pedestrian was transported to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
COLLISION: Car -v- Pedestrian at 13th St & Broadway. Pedestrian transported w/ non-life threatening injuries. 1-lane open each direction. Closure expected about 45-minutes. Traffic detectives investigating. pic.twitter.com/FuLcyRCjOc
— Everett Police (@EverettPolice) September 17, 2019
Evergreen Way in south Everett and Rucker Avenue are other car-pedestrian trouble spots, Snell said.
Julia-Grace Sanders: 425-339-3439; jgsanders@heraldnet.com.
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