November 3, 2005

SJPD Vehicular Crimes Unit urges caution
after ‘epidemic’ of pedestrian fatalities

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

Following the recent wave of pedestrian fatalities and car thefts, the Vehicular Crimes Unit of the San Jose Police Department urges the public to be more vigilant.

“People have to be more careful,” says Vehicular Crimes Unit Commander Lt. John B. Carr. “We’re facing an epidemic of pedestrian fatalities.”

Twelve pedestrians have been killed on San Jose road this year. In eight of the incidents pedestrians were either walking outside the crosswalk or against the light. On Oct. 19 a 51-year-old woman was struck and killed in a crosswalk in front of Vineland Branch Library on busy Blossom Hill Road and a few days before on Oct. 12, a 16-year-old was struck and killed while running against the light in a crosswalk on Capitol Expressway.

The Vehicular Crimes Unit has created its own multilingual Web site at: www.sjpd.org (under Vehicular Crimes Unit) to educate the public, in the hope of preventing these tragic accidents. Carr hopes that the public will utilize the Web site for information and safety tips and take their advice to heart.

Carr advises pedestrians to always be mindful of traffic, as well as the inherent danger of not being readily visible at night, especially when wearing dark clothing or jaywalking. “People have to take precautions,” says Carr. “Just because they’re in a crosswalk doesn’t mean they’re protected. They may be right, but they could be dead right.”

Sgt. Lorrie Rogers is also concerned that children and teenagers understand that they are mortal. “Teenagers will dare vehicles when crossing streets,” says Rogers, “but it simply takes one inattentive driver to accept the dare, and the consequences can be grave.”

“It is easily forgotten,” says Rogers, “but we all must take responsibility on the roads, whether we are driving, a pedestrian, or riding a bicycle.”

As the winter season approaches, Carr also cautions the public not to leave vehicles unattended while warming them up in the driveway, as this not only makes car theft that much easier, it opens the door to identity theft and burglary.