Driver Charged In Whalley Walker Crash

I hope this police/Executive commitment to enforcing the traffic laws is applied with zeal in the spring when all the mini-bikes, 3 wheelers, dirt bikes, atvs, etc. turn out in force for their fair-weather wilding on the streets of our City.

While the driver/offense in the video is arguably negligent, I think the State will have a difficult time proving its case for a more severe charge based in recklessness. Different definitions and standards.

Rain, slow speed driver, pedestrian crossing while signal is clearly red. There is never an excuse to hit someone in a crosswalk but I know how it feels to look up and see a pedestrian in a position that you didn't expect. I'm just glad the pedestrian is ok and the bystanders rallied to help. There are still good people left out there. I hope the NHI covers the post-arrest unfolding of the court case. My bet is on nolle. With a $50 fine.

I think this change of charge may have been inspired by the outcry in NHI over the "warning". Police-- do your jobs.

Good news. It's a small but encouraging step to see the administration and the NHPD taking action in this case at least.

"We're sending the message that we're enforcing motor vehicle laws in New Haven," he said.

Wow, great news. Why weren't you doing that before???

Drivers have gotten much less law-abiding in recent years. Red light cameras would make a huge difference In Maryland, where my son lives, speed cameras are very effective at enforcing speed limits (and make money for his city, incidentally.)
Also, the intersections in Westville need to be re-examined; the traffic situation has gotten dramatically worse .

Yes, it is significant that the driver finally got more than a warning. The sad truth is, that would not have happened without the article in the NHI with a video. Let's get with the program NHPD! Pedestrians are being injured left and right—lets crackdown on the streets and the recklessness of the drivers. Again, thank you, NHI!

Eleven hundred more enforcement stops this year compared to the same period last year. Excellent.

I'd like to offer that if Chief Reyes is really serious about better enforcement he needs to get cops constantly at the notorious intersection of Frontage Road and York Street, where med student Mila Rainof was killed in 2008, and Melissa Tancredi was killed in 2017.

Just yesterday -- unbelievably -- I saw, first, one car speed through the light on Frontage that had just turned red, and, then, a SECOND one absolutely charge through, at high speed, after the light had been red for some time.

There is a big banner above the intersection that says RED MEANS STOP.

It's obviously not enough. Drivers don't care. Only citations and arrests will work.

An unlikely alliance of the ACLU and The Police Officers Association of Connecticut has been the main force fighting against allowing Red-light and speeding detection cameras in Connecticut. Can they be defeated by people who actually use the streets to walk?? Can pedestrians become such an organized counter force?

See this Courant article for more details: https://www.courant.com/politics/government-watch/hc-pol-lender-traffic-enforcement-cameras-20190420-r7c4sy6kwvhmzevpst3kxavfje-story.html

"Rain, slow speed driver, pedestrian crossing while signal is clearly red. There is never an excuse to hit someone in a crosswalk but I know how it feels to look up and see a pedestrian in a position that you didn't expect."

First, the pedestrian started crossing when she got the walk light. As can clearly be seen in the video, the scrap of time allotted runs out when she is only half or maybe two-thirds across Whalley. The sign next to the cross walk light button clearly states that if that happens you can complete crossing. Are we disabled to be punished because we can't move as fast as you temporarily able-bodied folk?

And given where the pedestrian had gotten to by the time the light changed, she should have been clearly visible (or at least her walker) to the driver on Blake. He couldn't wait another few seconds to let an obviously disabled person finish crossing? For shame! His attitude is clear from the way he disrespectfully honks his horn as he passes.

In addition to a fine (something more than a token $50!) he needs to be sentenced to community service, maybe 30 hours in a nursing home.

HewHaven, I agree. I am a member of the ACLU, but I think their opposition to red light and speeding cameras is wrong. People are dying. The streets are unsafe.

I would be happy if the ACLU would help craft legislation to ensure that the cameras are used fairly (not as "speed traps"), that privacy is protected and that accumulated fines are treated like unpaid parking tickets, so that they cannot send people to prison or cost them their license.

Good move on the part of the police, no doubt in part because of the availability of the video. I fully support police enforcement actions in such cases. However, such videos will not always show clear fault on the part of the drivers - which is why some of the reported cases have no charges pressed against the drivers. As most people who drive in New Haven will attest, there is a stunning level of pedestrian recklessness in terms of crossing against lights, outside of crosswalks, etc. And what's with the poll only having "Ticket diagonal-crossing pedestrians" as an option for that category?

[Paul: That poll originally grew out of a story in which the police used safe-streets state money to issue $92 tickets to pedestrians who cross diagonally at intersections. https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/pedestrian_and_cycle_safety_pilot/]

Esbey,

Have to respectfully disagree with your belief that accumulated violations not result in loss of license. Parking tickets are different because they are not moving violations and, as such, not the type of violation that is going to result in an accident. However, someone who repeatedly runs red lights is an accident waiting to happen. They need to lose their license and be taken off the road until they come to an understanding of just how dangerous they are.

I think there should be an addition to the Whalley Blake intersection that would alert motorists to expect pedestrians: a sign like the one on Chapel Street just before the intersection with Park Street where there is only a crosswalk without a crosswalk light. It says "TURNING TRAFFIC MUST YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS"—or, to make it absolutely clear, "TURNING TRAFFIC MUST YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS IN CROSSWALK."

I'm glad this city is finally taking this seriously. It needs to be a multi-pronged approach with law enforcement, penalties, red light cameras, and safe streets infrastructure. It's crazy that they needed a video of the incident to actually do anything about it. A million things like this happen in NH and there are no cameras present to document it.

The time alloted for crossing with the walk sign is totally inadequate. In fact it is a joke or worse, a middle finger, to pedestrians. I am able bodied but unable to cross in the time allowed. The walk signal at West Rock and Whalley is very dangerous. I have seen parents with small children in tow have to run in order to cross before the signal changes.

ElmCityAle, this is spot on "As most people who drive in New Haven will attest, there is a stunning level of pedestrian recklessness in terms of crossing against lights, outside of crosswalks, etc." With Yale students walking out into the street while not even looking up from their phones, people on Whalley and Dixwell just randomly walking out into the middle of the street day and night, not to mention people in dark clothing on bikes without lights at night; I can't believe more people don't get hit.
And Citoyen, Frontage/York and Frontage Park are both disasters waiting to happen, again. I live in New Haven, bike into work at the hospital most days and am appalled by the people absolutely blowing the red lights. Like you said, it's not those barely squeaking under, it's two to three cars straight through, at high speed, after the light has turned red (and it's all ages, races, cars, Yale and YNHH vehicles, other business vehicles). Without exaggeration, I can say that I see it every single day. It's so dangerous, but very rarely do I see police near those intersections, let alone pulling anyone over. Not sure why this is such a blind spot.

@Pat from Westville - I believe you're mistaken. The pedestrian entered the intersection AFTER the don't walk sign started. The countdown appears to be at 7 when the pedestrian enters the intersection. Even if the figure is blurry, the color red means don't walk. I think I read somewhere that most of these counters are set to 15 seconds. The Pedestrian was wrong... almost dead wrong... for being in that intersection at that time. I'm not excusing the driver, but IF the pedestrian had followed the 'rules of the road', the pedestrian wouldn't have been there to almost get hit.

We the People need to stop looking at everything as one way or the other. There are two people at fault here, but only the driver taken to task.

And while you all applaud the 1,100 MORE Motor vehicle violations. Remember, it's not even two months into the year. Each of those violations probably pulled a patrolman for 15 minutes. That's an additional 275 HOURS of police work over moving violations. But, you know, getting those people who pull a rolling stop at a barren intersection is really a top crime priority. Reyes should be embarrassed, not proud.

The driver should remain with the warning. Of course, pursue an actual ticket. Driver fights, takes a drive to traffic court points out pedestrian walking against walk signal, case dismissed. Money wasted just to force the driver to take a day off of work.

Most people have no idea what they're talking about. They should go back and read the CT Driver's Manual entry on "pedestrians" (page 16)

<blockquote>Pedestrians:

Drivers must recognize the special safety needs of pedestrians. Drivers should be especially alert for children, the elderly, and disabled pedestrians. They are the most frequent victims in auto pedestrian collisions. Elderly and disabled pedestrians may have poor vision and hearing and may move slowly. Generally, pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks. There is a crosswalk at every intersection, even if it is not marked by painted lines. To determine where an unmarked crosswalk is, imagine that the sidewalk or shoulder at the corner extends across the road and meets the sidewalk or shoulder on the other side. Drivers must slow or stop your vehicle and grant the right-of-way for a pedestrian crossing at a crosswalk (marked or unmarked) when the pedestrian:

• Steps to the curb at the entrance to the crosswalk
• Is within any portion of the crosswalk</blockquote>

https://portal.ct.gov/DMV/Drivers-Manuals/Manuals/Drivers-Manuals