CENTRAL — Public safety officials are pleading for people to pay attention to roadways after a crash Thursday night left one pedestrian dead.Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran said three fatalities in two weeks, all just miles from each other, is a sign something needs to change. On Thursday, 46-year-old Don O’Donnell stopped on the shoulder of the westbound lane of Magnolia Bridge Road to change his tire. Corcoran said that is when another driver in the westbound lane swerved and hit him.”About 80 percent of his car was off the roadway was in the grassy area, so he was way off the roadway,” Corcoran said. “A vehicle that was traveling west actually swerved, left the roadway, and struck the man next to the roadway changing his tire.”Corcoran said O’Donnell was parked at least five feet from the fog line, a road marking that separates the road from the shoulder. Corcoran said O’Donnell did everything right but is waiting until the investigation is complete to determine the cause of the accident.”Inattentiveness I guess, I mean, people need to understand, they need to stay off their phones, they need to pay attention to the roadways. Quit being in a hurry,” Corcoran said. “It can cost people’s lives and your life.”DOTD said more than 22,000 people traveled through the Magnolia Bridge Greenwell Springs Road intersection last year. The agency added many of the accidents like this one are caused by human error.”We’ve looked at road departures throughout the state and a lot of those are going to be because of distracted driving,” DOTD Public Information Director Rodney Mallett said.Mallett said the accidents could be prevented if more drivers paid attention.”You’re talking about the one where somebody got off of the main line and hit somebody on the shoulder yesterday. We had one of our employees die in New Orleans on Tuesday, he was 8 feet off of the main line. He had lights on, cones out, and a directional arrow out. Somebody still ran into him and killed him,” Mallett said.The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission said if you find yourself in this situation, get yourself completely off the road.”Get someplace safe, if there’s a business or parking lot, I would suggest that,” Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Public Information Officer Greg Fischer said.If possible, wear bright, high-visibility clothing, and pay attention to your surroundings.”If you are changing a tire on the side of the road, make sure that you’re looking to see that oncoming traffic is noticing you so that you can move and just be extremely careful because it’s not terribly safe,” Fischer said.Chief Corcoran said the investigation is still underway at this time.Permalink| Comments
CENTRAL — Public safety officials are pleading for people to pay attention to roadways after a crash Thursday night left one pedestrian dead.
Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran said three fatalities in two weeks, all just miles from each other, is a sign something needs to change. On Thursday, 46-year-old Don O’Donnell stopped on the shoulder of the westbound lane of Magnolia Bridge Road to change his tire. Corcoran said that is when another driver in the westbound lane swerved and hit him.
“About 80 percent of his car was off the roadway was in the grassy area, so he was way off the roadway,” Corcoran said. “A vehicle that was traveling west actually swerved, left the roadway, and struck the man next to the roadway changing his tire.”
Corcoran said O’Donnell was parked at least five feet from the fog line, a road marking that separates the road from the shoulder. Corcoran said O’Donnell did everything right but is waiting until the investigation is complete to determine the cause of the accident.
“Inattentiveness I guess, I mean, people need to understand, they need to stay off their phones, they need to pay attention to the roadways. Quit being in a hurry,” Corcoran said. “It can cost people’s lives and your life.”
DOTD said more than 22,000 people traveled through the Magnolia Bridge Greenwell Springs Road intersection last year. The agency added many of the accidents like this one are caused by human error.
“We’ve looked at road departures throughout the state and a lot of those are going to be because of distracted driving,” DOTD Public Information Director Rodney Mallett said.
Mallett said the accidents could be prevented if more drivers paid attention.
“You’re talking about the one where somebody got off of the main line and hit somebody on the shoulder yesterday. We had one of our employees die in New Orleans on Tuesday, he was 8 feet off of the main line. He had lights on, cones out, and a directional arrow out. Somebody still ran into him and killed him,” Mallett said.
The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission said if you find yourself in this situation, get yourself completely off the road.
“Get someplace safe, if there’s a business or parking lot, I would suggest that,” Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Public Information Officer Greg Fischer said.
If possible, wear bright, high-visibility clothing, and pay attention to your surroundings.
“If you are changing a tire on the side of the road, make sure that you’re looking to see that oncoming traffic is noticing you so that you can move and just be extremely careful because it’s not terribly safe,” Fischer said.
Chief Corcoran said the investigation is still underway at this time.