At 11:21 a.m. today, HPD patrols responded to the scene of a car-pedestrian personal injury accident at the intersection of 5th and Warren Street. A 2017 Chevrolet TRX Suburban driven by Robert Mickle, 87 yrs old of Hudson, struck a 66 yr Hudson woman as she was walking west in the crosswalk. She was transported to Albany Medical Center by Greenport Rescue. She appeared to have arm and leg fractures as well as a head injury. The injuries are considered non-life threatening. The investigation is continuing and no traffic tickets have been issued at this time.Although the press release doesn't mention it, Gossips heard from another source that the woman was walking two little dogs at the time she was struck.
COPYRIGHT 2018 CAROLE OSTERINK
Carole
ReplyDeleteThank you for bringing attention to Complete Streets. I am very glad to hear that her injuries are non-life threatening.
I wanted to share some data that I hope adds perspective as we begin to have a citywide conversation about making our streets safer.
Roger Hannigan Gilson of The Other Hudson Valley compared the number of Automobile Accidents with Personal Injuries in Hudson to 8 other cities in the Hudson Valley:
The number of automobile accidents with personal injury.
1. Newburgh (411 injured)
2. Poughkeepsie (350 injured)
3. Middletown (136 injured)
4. Beacon (60 injured)
5. Catskill (44 injured)
6. HUDSON (38 injured)
7. New Paltz (31 injured)
8. Ellenville (19 injured)
9. Saugerties (18 injured)
The rate of automobile accidents with personal injury per 100,000 people.
1. Newburgh (1,068 AAPI per 100,000)
2. Poughkeepsie (875 per)
3. Catskill (686 per)
4. HUDSON (545 per)
5. Ellenville (446 per)
6. Saugerties (440 per)
7. New Paltz (356 per)
8. Middletown (355 per)
9. Beacon (329 per)
We have a thankfully small number of accidents, yet the rate of those accidents is somewhat high. This indicates to me significant opportunity to make streets, crosswalks, intersections safer for all.
Complete Streets is a pathway to guide this kind of decision-making.
Roger compiled all the data from the 2017 Census Population Estimates and the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Difficult to know what caused the accident, but crossing that intersection at 5th and Warren, with its lights on poles on the sidewalks rather than overhead, can be challenging for pedestrians. Not too surprised that there was an accident there. Is this the only intersection in town with these type of lights?
ReplyDeleteThe problem just may be that the driver was 87 years old. Congrats to him for still being active, but when was the last time he had a drivers test and what types of medications does he use?
ReplyDeleteIt was my luck (bad luck?) to happen on the accident minutes after it happened. Not a pretty site, but I'm so grateful that it looks like the woman will be okay. The two small dogs she had been walking were amazingly calm, still leashed, sitting calmly by their human, who was flat on her back, immobile but conscious. The elderly couple whose car it was that hit the woman (turning on to 5th Street) were there, very distraught. I called 911 whose operator/dispatcher I want to thank for being a model of calm efficiency (we were still on the phone when the rescue squad ambulance pulled up), as well as the two HPD officers called out of a City Hall meeting who arrived in minutes and the Parking Officer who immediately directed traffic away from the site of the accident. Thanks to all our emergency services personnel for acting so quickly... As to driving in Hudson, anyone who has done it either in the morning or the late afternoon, knows that the sun can be a blinding problem and pedestrians can never take their so-called right-of-way for granted. As Carole says, "Let's be careful out there," especially during these crowded holidays.
ReplyDelete