MELVILLE, NY- According to Longisland.com, a pedestrian sustained severe injuries in a collision that took place in Melville. The victim was walking on Route 110 on Monday, November 19, 2018, at about 7:15 p.m. when he seemed to have stepped into the street and was hit by a 2004 Honda CRV. Constance Schwartz, 87, was […]
MELVILLE, NY- According to Longisland.com, a pedestrian sustained severe injuries in a collision that took place in Melville.
The victim was walking on Route 110 on Monday, November 19, 2018, at about 7:15 p.m. when he seemed to have stepped into the street and was hit by a 2004 Honda CRV. Constance Schwartz, 87, was identified as the driver of the vehicle that struck the victim.
Schwartz remained at the scene of the crash and had not been charged with anything in relation to the incident.
The accident is still under investigation.
Pedestrian deaths have been on the rise in the United States, reaching a 28 year high in 2016. The numbers indicated a 46 percent increase over 2009 when pedestrian deaths hit a low.
Most pedestrian fatalities take place at night in places that do not have crosswalks, or where there are poorly designed crosswalks.
The crashes frequently involve SUVs. SUVs are becoming increasingly popular, and there are more of these vehicles on the road. Larger vehicles, such as SUVs and pickup trucks now account for around 67 percent of the automobile market. These vehicles are heavier and larger, and while they present more safety options for the people traveling within the vehicles, they potentially create greater risks to pedestrians than do smaller vehicles like cars. SUVs are more likely to strike in a person’s head or chest while cars hit a person’s legs.
On Long Island, the traffic safety advocacy group Vision Long Island has been pushing to have more pedestrian friendly crosswalks and street designs.
In 2018, the federal government unveiled a plan to implement a Vision Zero initiative across the United States. The national level plan has a goal of eliminating traffic fatalities by 2050. The plan will be working to design safer roads and to increase safety for both vehicle occupants and for pedestrians.
