Bob CollinsAnother pedestrian in St. Paul has been struck and killed in a crosswalk by the driver of a vehicle turning in her path, the Pioneer Press reports today.
The crosswalks in or near downtown are virtually lawless as drivers violate the law with impunity. The situation is made even worse as drivers race along surface streets at rush hour looking for shortcuts to avoid traffic tie-ups caused by I-94 reconstruction and other road projects throughout the city.
The woman was struck around 4 yesterday in a crosswalk at Cayuga and Arkwright near Regions Hospital. The driver was turning left when he hit and killed the woman.
As with other fatal pedestrian accidents lately, the driver did not appear impaired; he just broke the law.
She is the third person killed in St. Paul this year — all of them in crosswalks — and the 65th accident involving pedestrians.
Just two weeks ago, a 34 year old woman was killed in a crosswalk on Maryland Avenue.
Under the state’s crosswalk law, drivers must stop until the pedestrian is completely across the street lane. Even in the unlikely event it’s enforced in St. Paul, there’s very little penalty for a driver who violates the law. It’s only a misdemeanor.
The pedestrian, on the other hand, ends up dead.
Archive: Why don’t MN drivers get the crosswalk law? (NewsCut)
In conflict between cars and pedestrians, the cars have an advantage (MPR News)
