Staff
Passersby in downtown Sweet Home may have noticed a few police cars near the the corner of Long and 13th Streets on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
If they looked closely, they also may have noticed the same pedestrian crossing the crosswalks at the corner on a regular basis.
Sgt. Jason VanEck donned an orange T-shirt and walked through the area while Sweet Home Police officers parked nearby – ready to help educate residents about the causes of pedestrian crashes.
The project was part of an “Oregon Impact mini-grant program for the purpose of enforcement involving pedestrian right of way in crosswalks and to educate citizens about the causes of pedestrian crashes,” according to a SHPD statement.
The grant was set up as more an educational piece than as enforcement, VanEck said.
Though SHPD gave plenty of warning that they would be watching that area closely – even setting up bright orange signs and posting on Facebook – some drivers and pedestrians were still taken by surprise.
During the 3½ hour period, SHPD spent in the area, they issued seven citations for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk and 17 warnings for crosswalk violations.
Cones were set up 161 feet before the stop signs, which was “gracious,” VanEck said.
That distance gives a driver traveling 35 mph ample time to stop if a pedestrian enters the crosswalk.
In addition to the crosswalk violations, police issued two citations for failure to use a seat belt, two citations for unlawful use of a cell phone, five citations for driving while suspended or no operators license and four for driving uninsured. According to a press release from SHPD, 19 warnings were issued for non-crosswalk-related offenses.
Officers also spoke to several pedestrians about the proper and required use of crosswalks.