NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WGGB) – Nearly a month after a Greenfield doctor was hit and killed by a car on a Northampton street, the mayor has announced that new safety measures are going to be put in place.
Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz said Thursday that a rapidly flashing pedestrian beacon, similar to one installed on Conz Street, will be installed on New South Street, in a crosswalk located near Pulaski Park.
The beacon, which will be paid for with state money, will alert drivers of pedestrians in the roadway through both automatic and manual activation.
Narkewicz notes that the installation of the beacon, along with other are in an effort to increase the visibility and safety in the area where 35-year-old Dr. Pallav Parakh was hit and killed by a car on October 31.
The driver of that truck, 25-year-old Derek Graves of Chesterfield, is facing charges of motor vehicle by negligent operation related to that crash.
The mayor has also authorized the Department of Public Works to install temporary orange barrels just before the crosswalk on the northbound side of New South Street, to help prevent cars from passing to the right of the crosswalk.
People in noho think oh its the law you have to stop but in reality you can’t just walk out infront of a car and expect us to stop as soon as we see you. Its not the drivers fault.
Maybe they should get high tech an start a policy of looking both ways before you cross.
If people in NoHo wouldn’t just walk out into the road/crosswalk when your 2feet away from them no one would get hit. A 200lb person can stop faster then a 4200lb car
It is the responsibility of the driver to be safely operating their vehicle. Too many people drive far too quickly and do not pay sufficient attention to driving safely. Do you two honestly think that a Doctor is the sort of person who would carelessly dart into traffic? Nonetheless, driver’s are obligated to yield to pedestrians. Not only is it reasonable, it’s also the law….
So what about the crosswalk in front of Thornes Market. A vehicle can sit there for 20 minutes waiting for the inconsiderate walkers to cross
No one questions the law but many question common sense. Many in the area are complacent with the culture and enforcement of the pedestrian laws. You still need to look. Yes I believe doctors, lawyers and bums walk into traffic in NOHO without looking. I see it all the time.
on more thsn one occasion at that particular crosswalk I’ve had pedestrians walk out from behind the nearby parked vehicles while looking down and texting without a glance up at cars. At night is even worse!
What the hell does being a doctor have to do with wether or not you walk out into a crosswalk without looking. Yeah ..i do believe it is possible for a Dr or a lawyer or a bum or a kid to NOT look before crossing. Education status has nothing ti do with common sense. Which a LOT of pedestrians DONT seem to have!
You can have control of you vehicle, but if someone walks out from between cars without looking it doesn’t matter. 2000 lbs of steel is hard to stop!
A crosswalk does not have an imaginary forcefield around it. Just because cars a supposed to yield to pedestrians does not mean it will happen every single time. People need to smarten up. As a child I was taught to look both ways before I crossed because the person driving the car might not always see me. It seems this lesson needs to be posted at every crosswalk since people have forgotten they are not Superman and they cannot stop a speeding car with their body.
Its not BRAIN SURGERY. STOP, LOOK, LISTEN. and you wont get run over!