Motorcyclist Kills Pedestrian

Another day in a city where people are out of control. I feel sorry for the victim.

Ban motorcycles in New Haven

Pedestrians are sacrificial lambs offered up to fate here. I got lucky. I was bumped by a driver who was texting while rolling a block from where another pedestrian was hit. The general attitude within city government is "how do I ignore this and cover my ass?"

I later watched an NHPD officer sit patiently waiting for a driver who had rolled through the same light move out of his way. An officer on a motorcycle followed a car through the walk light and said "we have a green" because inept light design trumps state law...I guess, I dunno. Pedestrians only have the right of way up to the city limits. Inside New Haven, not so much. (I just watched another school, the second I've seen, bus roll through a red light.)

If we're honest, we will tell you that we are the worst drivers in the country - and that we like it that way. Our PD looks for "pedestrian fault" to artificially lower the stats to keep it that way. They have "better things to do" like guarding Yale events and utility trucks and chatting with city workers sitting on bulldozers. Traffic enforcement has to wait.

On a recent round trip from near exit 3 to the green, 9 out of 14 legal street crossings included a driver running a light or sign. (I can't get stats on bicycle riders until I see one obeying a traffic law but the impacts are less severe so no big deal, ) I've seen drivers just miss a baby stroller, an elderly woman using a walker, school children, a crossing guard. NHPD? Nah. Better things to do. Traffic? How do I cover my ass. The Mayor? I dunno.

Seeing dirt bikers run a red light in front of two NHPD vehicles, watching them pop wheelies in front of an officer who was dutifully guard take-out traffic on College
and the best, crossing Chapel in front of the PD station with City Hall behind me and having dirt bikers run the lights while popping wheelies in front of and behind me. THAT was special.

"Enforcement" is the act of compelling observance or compliance with a law."

@ NHI - How old was the driver? What kind of motorcycle? Street legal? Was the driver licensed?

Any witnesses?

That are is rife with "outlaw" dirt bike riders. Is this was an instance where someone was killed by one of them, the community needs to know and this should garner a bigger headline, given the history of this problem.

Yay, we've solved all of our problems and we're down to leaf blower pollution. Time well spent. Awesome.

I will wait for the report.How do we know this man did not just walk into the street?

posted by: DEVAGHOST on October 13, 2021 8:38am

Pedestrians are sacrificial lambs offered up to fate here. I got lucky. I was bumped by a driver who was texting while rolling a block from where another pedestrian was hit. The general attitude within city government is "how do I ignore this and cover my ass?"

I have seen Pedestrians texting and walking right into the streets.In fact I saw a Pedestrian reading a book and walking into the street.How about bicyclist running lights and riding on the sidewalks? There should be equal enforcement of the traffic laws.

@THREEIFTHS I know. These mlddle-aged men throwing themselves in front of moving vehicles to see if they survive has gone on long enough. They must be stopped.

Why? Anything that will allow the PD to ignore the problem and let shitty drivers be shitty drivers...shitty drivers like that.

In the real world, where a yellow light means "speed up" and "no turn on red" means "fast turn on red while looking left to see if you can make it" 'pedestrian fault' is a sane, safe way to cross a street. Using a crosswalk will get you run over by a school bus or a Fedex truck...or a cop on a motorcycle, so you cross in the middle of the street.

posted by: DEVAGHOST on October 13, 2021 1:00pm

Using a crosswalk will get you run over by a school bus or a Fedex truck…or a cop on a motorcycle, so you cross in the middle of the street.

Last I looked.There is a button you press to step into the crosswalk to stop the cars.So you can cross.

@THREEFIFTHS

LOLOLOLOLOLOL

You don't walk much, huh?