Students ‘dread’ crossing S. College Road after multiple near-misses
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — After a teen girl was struck by a car early Sunday morning, Wilmington Police Department is urging pedestrians and drivers to share the road.
South College is one of the busiest roads in Wilmington with students walking to campus to drivers getting across town.
“I dread this part of my commute every day,” UNCW student Zach Stadelman said. “If I could avoid it I would, but it’s just not practical.”
Stadelman crosses the road to attend class at least three times a day. He says he’s had many close calls.
“I was crossing from that side coming this way and I had the OK to go as a pedestrian,” Stadelman said. “I was on my bike and the car was turning right right here and as I’m coming they pulled out right in front of me and I had to slam on brakes and slide my bike to the side so I wouldn’t run into them.”
Timothy Fanelle, another student, says he’s been almost hit so many times crossing the road that he’s desensitized to it.
“Probably once every two or three weeks that happens,” Fanelle said. “There’s a lot of people who just don’t necessarily pay attention to the crosswalk.”
Corporal Adam Schwartzel with the Wilmington Police Department’s Traffic unit says drivers must be attentive.
“Drivers just go to pay attention,” Cpl. Schwartzel said. “Pay attention to what’s around you. There’s people, there’s bikes, there’s cars, do what you’re supposed to do.”
Schwartzel adds jaywalking is illegal and any pedestrians not following the appropriate signs are responsible.
“Those walk and don’t walk signs and red and green lights at the intersections, if there’s not a walk don’t walk, are the same thing as a red light and a green light so if a pedestrian walks out when the sign says don’t walk and they get struck by a car, they get ticketed,” Schwartzel said.
According to WPD, from January 2016 to April 15 of this year, there have been more than 150 crashes involving pedestrians in Wilmington.
Leave a Reply