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2012-02-17 at 13:51

Life-threatening

By Jodi Lundmark, tbnewswatch.com
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A pedestrian was sent to the hospital Friday after being struck by a motor vehicle on Fort William Road.

Superior North EMS superintendent Eric Todd confirmed the victim, a male in his early 40s, had been taken to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre after paramedics responded to a 911 call Friday afternoon.

The collision took place on Fort William Road, near Main Street around 1:30 p.m.

A witness has come forward to police and said the pedestrian left from the meridian in the centre of the roadway and ran across the path of the vehicles.

However, at this time police don’t have anything to corroborate that information, said Det. Const. Robert Miller.

Miller said luckily two paramedics were driving by at the time of the incident and were able to do first-aid and keep the injured man from moving before an ambulance arrived and took him to the hospital.

Police were on scene this afternoon reconstructing the collision.

Motorists in that area are being rerouted through the parking lot of The Brick, which is causing significant traffic issues.

 

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Comments

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countrychick says:
OK for HEAVEN'S SAKE why don't the police start CHARGING these pedestrians!!! I have had many close calls myself expecially on memorial avenue!! Have a blize and charge people for j-walking maybe they would get the point ... use the darn lights that is what they are there for!!!
2/17/2012 3:26:02 PM
edhtbon says:
While I am not going to completely disagree with your statement, I think there are more effective long term solutions than that.
Instead of continuing to put up the traditional green/amber/red traffic signals for pedestrian crossing, the city needs to instead put up flashing amber pedestrian crossing lights with crosswalks that just about every other city in this country has. These immediately allow pedestrians to cross, while only slowing traffic for a few seconds. I believe it would be a little more effective in moving traffic, for both those on foot and behind the wheel. I just hope those with poor driving skills in the city could learn how to approach them.
2/17/2012 3:46:59 PM
Kenny says:
There are 2 controlled walkways within 100m of this spot. Darwin at work as far as I am concerned.
2/17/2012 9:51:47 PM
shake'n'myhead says:
If you are walking and don't make eye contact with the person driving a car when you are about to walk across the street you are nuts. Face it folks, Thunder Bay has the most inconsiderate drivers on the planet. But back to pedestrian traffic and J walking. It is criminal how people think they are invincible and boldly step out in front of you. I sometimes think it's a dare. Oh well, won't hurt me, will make me mad that they caused damage to my vehicle and I get no retribution. I hope they charge the pedestrian if found to be at fault.
2/17/2012 4:06:52 PM
Delbert Grady says:
after years of preaching about how pedestrians always have the right of way, often times these are the results.

The solution to all of this?

Procreate with people who are smart enough to cross the street all by themselves? No amount of traffic signals can prevent stupidity, because we keep inventing stupider people.
2/17/2012 4:52:36 PM
wayne says:
the lights were just a short walk away for the pedestrian...and at that time of day the traffic is super busy. i hope he gets charged.
2/17/2012 7:33:10 PM
peas08 says:
Today on Memorial there was a man in his 40's or 50's standing in the middle of the street trying to get to the wholesale club. He was infront of our turn lane just standing there so we couldn't move( a few solid minutes) and then walked out in fairly close proximity to oncoming traffic causing traffic to slow down so they did not hit him. Our fear was that if someone came from behind us and tried to go around not knowing there was a pedestrian standing in the middle off the lane. I can't help but to wonder if this is the same individual. It was scary to watch. A few hundred feet away there was an intersection with lights which would have been a much safer way to cross.
2/17/2012 9:56:24 PM
tsb says:
That intersection usually works properly so pedestrians have no reason to cross against the lights there. The pedestrian crossing connecting Intercity Mall to one of its parking lots, however, never works properly and jaywalking is a problem there. The lights should either be repaired or removed.
2/18/2012 10:46:30 AM
harlon says:
I can't understand why, when the story states that this person has life threatening injuries, people are making such horrible statements about this pedestrian. People make bad choices every day, it's called being human. I think it's ignorant to be calling this person stupid when his life is at stake. I'm sure this mans family appreciates you badmouthing him at a time when they're most likely distraught over what has happened to their loved one. It's sad to see this reaction and lack of empathy for this man and his family.
2/18/2012 11:55:15 AM
old vienna says:
What kind of bs media outlets do we have in this town now. According to news reports today the victim is 74 years old not in his 40's? A 30 year difference, EMS superintendent eric todd may need to go get his vision checked.
2/18/2012 1:00:00 PM
spooner19 says:
I think people should wait till the investigation is done before coming to conclusions about who is totally at fault. I do agree people should use the lights to cross when possible, but i also wander if the vehicle was going the speed limit. It seems like driving 20 or more km around this city is very common. Seems a little odd someone would suffer life threatening injuries from being hit by a vehicle where the speed limit is very low in that area.
2/18/2012 3:30:44 PM
bkr9812 says:
First let me say I don't know exactly what happened in this situation.

However if it's true that the pedestrian was attempting to jaywalk, perhaps it's an indication that we need more traffic lights in that particular area around Intercity to give pedestrians an opporunity to cross. Isn't this how we got that awesome set of lights on Balmoral around the Academy area?

All sarcasm aside, I believe that we need to REMOVE the "pedestrians always have the right of way" rule. Perhaps they will not be as brave then.

2/18/2012 4:51:55 PM
wayne says:
a 2000 lb vehicle travelling even at 20kph versus a 200 lb pedestrian always spells potential for life-threatening injuries.
2/18/2012 7:49:14 PM
spooner19 says:
Wow, someone should contact the police and let them know they are wasting time investigating. Just log on here and it seems a lot of people know exactly what happened and who was at fault, why bother with a investigation. Oh and yes as some poster wrote i hope they charge the guy. He is fighting for his life and all you can post is i hope they charge the guy? I don't know but there are a lot of moron drivers in this city. Try walking through Wal Mart on a busy day when idiots are speeding through the parking lot making no effort to slow down for pedestrians. Do you really think these same idiots are going the speed limit and paying attention to pedestrians when the get on the roadways? I really doubt it. Most U.S. cities have crosswalks and pedestrians to have the right of way in malls and parking lots why is it so different here? Morons behind the wheel?
2/19/2012 10:49:59 PM
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