the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Totowa NJ, October is Pedestrian Safety Month. Motorists should take special precautions to watch for pedestrians. Pedestrians have the right-of-way at all intersections, including intersections with no crosswalk markings (“unmarked crosswalks”)
Totowa Police said a pedestrian was struck and killed early Sunday morning by a motorist driving a Jeep Wrangler on Route 46 west in Totowa. Ahmed Idid, 24, of Rego Park, New York, was pronounced dead at the scene by responders to the call of a motor vehicle accident at 3:47 a.m., said a release from Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Totowa Police Chief Carmen Veneziano.
A driver of the 2018 Jeep, who was identified only as a 31-year-old Morristown resident, remained on the scene and cooperated with authorities, the release said. No charges have been filed.
No other pedestrians or vehicles were involved. The investigation remains active, authorities said.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the PCPO tips line at 877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org, or call the Totowa Police Department at 973-790-3700.
“Pedestrians have the right-of-way at all intersections, including intersections with no crosswalk markings (“unmarked crosswalks”)”
Not quite true. Although many pedestrians think so.
“39:4-32. On highways where traffic is controlled by a traffic control signal or by traffic or police officers:
a.Pedestrians shall not cross a roadway against the “stop” or red signal at a crosswalk, whether marked or unmarked, unless otherwise specifically directed to go by a traffic or police officer, or official traffic control device.”
39:4-32 Crossing roadway; signal.
f. Every pedestrian upon a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
h. In the event of a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian within a marked crosswalk, or at an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, there shall be a permissive inference that the driver did not exercise due care for the safety of the pedestrian.
But if they hit by a car while jay walking is it the fault of the driver or pedestrian?
All of this is moot.
I’d rather be a “wrong” living pedestrian who yields to motor vehicles than a dead (ex-)pedestrian who was legally in the right to cross expecting the motor vehicle to stop for me.
It does not matter to me whether or not I have the legal right of way.
It does not matter to me if the driver who killed me is proven legally wrong and is imprisoned for life, for I would still be dead.
I pick and choose my fights and I know that any fight I have with a 4000lb SUV (or even a 2000lb sports car) I will always lose.
This is what they should be teaching during “Pedestrian Safety Month”
TF is an “unmarked crosswalk”?
Throughout the CBD in the Village of Ridgewood, we have a major problem with pedestrians jaywalking right in front of moving traffic. If they get hit it’s their fault. End of the story. The speed limit on E. Ridgewood Ave. in the CBD and other streets in the CBD should not be 25 mph it’s too fast. How can you drive down iese Ridgewood Avenue at 25 miles an hour and all the sudden you have pedestrians running off the sidewalk right in front of you are you kidding me. And then you have to jam on the brakes. And there are a lot of dark spots throughout the CBD. It should not be No more than 15 mph in the CBD. That would make it very safe. Other towns that I’ve seen have 15 mph zone in their business sections. It’s just safer. Especially when we have the stupid law the pedestrians have the right away, bicycles have the right away, buses have the right away, who’s next.
I’ve been requesting a 15mph limit downtown for years and years. It’s not so easy to change since parts are county roads.
I see lots of pedestrians who jump in front of cars expecting there to be some sort of automatic brake on a car when they put their foot in the crosswalk. They are looking down at their phones, totally clueless. If you want to be safe, make eye contact with a driver before proceeding across the road. If the driver does not slow, give them the finger. But its not worth becoming a bowling pin just because the law gives you the right of way
What happened to pedestrians waiting on the sidewalk until it’s safe to cross? You know, looks both ways before you cross? Common sense.
the 15mph (and 25mph) speed limit is just virtue signaling, pandering and promotes a false sense of protection and safety without responsibility
It is magical thinking to believe that changing the speed limit to 25 or 15 from 30mph, 35mph or 40mph will produce better drivers or more alert pedestrians.
Most drivers can safely manage a car in urban areas at 30/35/40mph.
The bad/inattentive drivers won’t drive any better when the speed limit is lower
Many drivers will ignore a 25mph speed limit but will obey a 35mph speed limit.
15mph and 25mph speed limits when set at a broad town-wide level just lulls everyone into thinking that they are safer when they are not.
It’s just virtue signaling and population control.
We all think this issue will need to be addressed immediately before someone gets severely hurt or killed. And this can be avoided immediately. 1, is lower the speed limit throughout the CBD, 2 make sure the lighting is efficient throughout the CBD, 3, put up signs throughout the CBD to slow down, 4, get on the ass of New Jersey transit with their buses because they drive like animals. Which we all know we all have witnessed how they drive .5, maybe install speed humps I knees Ridgewood Avenue. Just a thought So no one gets hurt.
Slow down in the c-b-d it’s a big. Problem.
I love when people walk off the sidewalk without looking wearing their earplugs, and looking down into the road or on their phone instead of looking left and right for cars real smart people wake up. Those people deserve a ticket. The ticket should be A stupid ticket.
And if you do cross mid-block……..
Vehicles have the right-of-way, AND you have to cross at a 90 degree angle
New Jersey Statutes 39:4-34. ……
Where traffic is not controlled and directed either by a police officer or a traffic control signal, pedestrians shall cross the roadway within a crosswalk or, in the absence of a crosswalk, and where not otherwise prohibited, at right angles to the roadway.
How about this….
Stay out of the path of cars and trucks.
Personal Responsibility.
Stay alive.