Southbound Main Street shut down briefly after pedestrian struck by car
Southbound traffic on Main Street was shutdown briefly Friday afternoon after a car struck a pedestrian at the intersection with Kingsley Street.
Ann Arbor police officers were directing southbound traffic on Main westbound on Kingsley until just after 4:30 p.m. Friday. One Huron Valley Ambulance crew was on the scene tending to the pedestrian.
An HVA dispatcher confirmed the service had been sent to the intersection for a report of a car striking a pedestrian. The pedestrian was transported to University of Michigan Health System.
An Ann Arbor police sergeant directed all questions about the accident to spokeswoman Lt. Renee Bush, who was out of the office and unavailable Friday. More information on the accident was unavailable Friday.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
snapshot
Tue, Feb 21, 2012 : 3:53 a.m.
So many judgmental comments. I hope the person is OK but getting hit by a 4,000-8,000 pound moving vehicle is going to leave a mark. It doesn't matter right or wrong street crossing, drivers are not allowed to run over pedestrians under any circumstances.
Doug
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 4:28 p.m.
A week ago as I drove south on Main St. from Miller to Packard, three pedestrians walked from between parked cars in the middle of the block and crossed, two had to wait for the traffic in the other lane to clear. Yesterday was relatively mild, only one crossed that way. Drivers often get blamed bad driving habits , but both drivers and pedestrians need to be aware of each other before injuries turn deadly.
Geez
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 3:54 p.m.
Look both ways before crossing the street, pay attention when crossing, and don't dilly dally. If you are crossing you need to look out for YOUR safety. The car which hits you will not be injured. Cars hit other cars everyday. These are called accidents and they happen for multiple reasons. Just because you are in the cross walk and have the right away doesn't mean you're going to get it. Cross defensively.
shepard145
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 2:43 p.m.
With so many AA drivers texting in the city while driving, pedestrians better figure out that they risk their lives when anticipating the behavior of any car - cross walk or not. The good news is that there seems to be no more pedestrian accidents than before texting became fashionable among drivers.
Ron Granger
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 2:42 p.m.
My latte is your peril Do not come between me and my Latte Especially if I am driving to get my Latte Let nothing interfere with the acquisition of my Latte Let nothing slow the procurement of my Latte The Latte is my cub, and I am a mama grizzly When I am drinking my Latte, I will be focused on my Latte Do not cross me when I am drinking my Latte in my car My Latte is your peril (sub iphone/cheezeburger/etc for Latte)
Peter Baker
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 2:17 p.m.
You know, it's entirely possible that, since this was Main Street, and there are marked crosswalks and stoplights, that this had nothing to do with the pedestrian ordinance, and was simply a distracted driver not heeding a stoplight, or not stopping ahead of the crosswalk, but pulling up as if to immediately take their right turn (which I have noticed happens from time to time). But of course you are all right to simply assume it was an uppity pedestrian strutting right out in to 4 lanes of traffic against a green light, personal survival be damned. This is AnnArbor.com after all, where conclusions are justifiably jumped to.
SMC
Mon, Feb 20, 2012 : 6:31 a.m.
By that logic, cities which have higher volumes of both vehicular and pedestrian traffic (like New York) should have dead pedestrians stacked up higher than your head, but they don't. New York also does not have an ill-conceived pedestrian ordinance either.
Jimmy McNulty
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 12:55 p.m.
Do you want to know what always helps me cross the street? Looking both ways and waiting until a) there are no cars or b) there is enough of a break that I know I can make it safely across. I know cars are supposed to stop for me in some instances, but my sense of self-righteousness does me no good from a hospital bed.
Peter Baker
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 3:55 p.m.
"...that only exists in their freakishly inflated imaginations." And many other cities in the United States.
shepard145
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 3:38 p.m.
In AA, you can stroll across a crosswalk any time waving one of Council's ordinances for protection. ...and when you get hit, if you can still think, you can read off the sections the driver violated right there in the street!! ...as long as it is still legible after you bled all over it... AA Council is an excellent example of a group of people who bask in a circus of super powers that only exists in their freakishly inflated imaginations.
foobar417
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 3:02 p.m.
And you area assuming the facts match your wild speculation based on what evidence? The article says only that a car struck a pedestrian. For all we know, a drunk driver careened wildly up onto a curb, hitting the pedestrian before executing a perfect barrel roll and landing back in its lane. An explanation as rooted in the known facts as your pompous declaration of pedestrian perfection.
Ron Granger
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 2:42 p.m.
"my sense of self-righteousness" Oh, we get it.
huh7891
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 12:21 p.m.
People are starving in different countries, lacking medical care for common illness and don't have basic needs taken care of and people here whining about crosswalks! Oh wait it' s Ann Arbor..I forgot.. Which brings me to the guy on his bike yesterday ignoring the crosswalk signal..weaving across in and out of traffic right around rush hour in downtown Ann Arbor. Good impression for my child watching as he almost was hit! Sorry not always the drivers fault.
huh7891
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 3:02 p.m.
Actually Ron no I didn't ...from what I observed we were all in the correct lanes, those turning had blinkers on..patiently waiting for pedestrians to walk across, while this fool weaved in and out on the road, against signals and was almost hit. The best lesson my driver Ed teacher told me back 30 some years ago..drive defensively. It has worked so far..but I can't anticipate every move someone else might make.
Ron Granger
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 2:34 p.m.
I don't suppose your child observed any drivers violating basic traffic laws while they drove their 2+ ton heavy machinery? Odd that you didn't choose to comment on that.
bunnyabbot
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 4:43 a.m.
I use this intersection as a pedestrian at least once a week when visiting a friend, it requires me crossing two sides, infact I used it about an hour before this accident. There are clearly marked crosswalks and walk don't/walk signs. Even as a pedestrian who looks to make eye contact with drivers I have still had close calls. I feel bad for the person struck, I have had close calls of having my toes run over or heels grazed by some impatient or oblivious turner, especially on the West Kingsley side at Main intersection (although all four sides have similar expeiriences). A few weeks ago two of us were walking together and almost got hit. The people flying down southbound Main that turn right onto the one way Kingsley going west (downhill) take the turn too fast too often when they have a green light. ( I saw a cab drive the wrong way there today too!) and the cars turning left off of Beakes onto Southbound Main either try to beat you (on your toes) by gunning it through the crosswalk before you get halfway through or gun it on your heels as soon as they can squeak behind you.
G. Orwell
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 2:13 a.m.
Stop the madness! Get rid of the pedestrian death crosswalks! How many more people are you going to injure or kill before you come to your senses?
monroe c
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 11:03 p.m.
I don't get it. How are drivers supposed to stay alert for pedestrians when they are simultaneously texting, talking, eating, drinking, applying making, tuning the radio, weaving in and out of traffic, flipping the bird, daydreaming, looking at the scenery, adjusting their windshield wipers, brushing crumbs off their seat...oh, and driving with one knee!
Fatkitty
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 12:10 a.m.
You omitted something: what about the pedestrians who walk with the phone glued to their head, oblivious to everything else going on around them, including traffic signals and crosswalks? I've seen some that don't even slow down when approaching a crosswalk, they just continue on, head bent, phone to the ear, like they're the only one on the planet. Must be immortal or something.
Homeland Conspiracy
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 11:39 p.m.
You left out smoking, reaching back to slap a brat...oh I mean a child, & Dogs on the drivers laps
SMC
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 10:46 p.m.
A pedestrian crossing main street was struck during Friday afternoon rush hour, at an intersection? I can't say I'm surprised, given the way that some pedestrians feel they should be able to just be able to walk into traffic without looking, confident that the force-field of the walk lights will protect them. About an hour before this happened, I witnessed people approaching a crosswalk at 4th and Kingsley, who almost walked into the street without noticing that I was already in the intersection. Naturally, I got some dirty looks for not being able to instantly stop my car at their whim and fancy. Not 1/2 a block later, I observed 3 small children looking both ways before attempting to cross. If a 6 year old can do it, why can't grownups?
SMC
Sun, Feb 19, 2012 : 9:48 p.m.
I didn't blame the victim in this case, I merely shared my observations of Ann Arbor pedestrians in general. As far as my entitlement to an opinion, I do believe I am. Furthermore, it would also appear that majority of people who've read it, and the others that were shared, agree with it. So, there's that.
Ron Granger
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 2:31 p.m.
Way to knee-jerk blame the victim without any information. But I guess you are "entitled" to your opinion.
ranger007
Sat, Feb 18, 2012 : 6:24 a.m.
I can't agree with you more
BernieP
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 10:44 p.m.
Wishing the best to the pedestrian and his or her health. @Mort - if this incident occurred at the intersection described and not in the middle of the block, then yes, there are crosswalks here as well as traffic stoplights and pedestrian walk / don't walk signals.
golfer
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 10:30 p.m.
I don't know if a crosswalk or lines were present. What I do know drivers are crazy. The other day I was driving down stadium blvd across from MacDonald's. I was in the left hand lane. I saw a person waiting at the crosswalk. This crosswalk had a stop sign facing traffic. Many many cars went buy him. I stopped. Once again I was in the left hand lane. Now you have two lanes. The one on my right had five cars buzz right by him. If he would have walked he would have been hit. Since I stopped I am sure his sight was impaired. NO! Way will cross walks work. Not unless you take cars off the road. UNLESS you put up blinking lights on all of the crosswalks, not some of them but all. Someone will be killed and the city will be sued.
melissa
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 10:56 p.m.
Cross walks are only good when used as they are designed to be. Drivers have a responsibility to watch for pedestrians as well as the other cars around them. Flashing lights won't help someone who is busy talking on their phone, eating, drinking, texting, shaving, reading, applying make up, or turning to look at their passenger. Hopefully this person will be ok, and the driver will pay more attention from now on.
SMC
Fri, Feb 17, 2012 : 10:47 p.m.
Forward your comments to city council, and they'll conclude that the only way to prevent pedestrian deaths is by following your suggestion of taking all cars off the roads.