Fatality Tracker: Two more pedestrian deaths make November a terribly active month

By Steven Vance On November 20, 2012 · 8 Comments

2012 Chicago fatality stats*:

Pedestrian: 27 (12 have been hit-and-run crashes)
Pedalcyclist: 6 (1 is a hit-and-run crash)
Transit: 8
Skateboard: 1 (1 is a hit-and-run crash)

Two pedestrian deaths since Friday’s Fatality Tracker update make for 5 this month.

On Saturday, November 17, 2012, Christopher Cooper, 44, of Bronzeville, “stepped into northbound traffic on the 7900 block of South Stony Island Avenue at about 11:15 p.m. Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said.” “Police have issued the driver of the Cirrus, 23-year-old Frederick Jackson, a citation for failing to exercise due care.” (Chicago Tribune)

On Monday, November 19, 2012, 8:27 AM at 1501 W Cermak Road. A messaged emailed to me from the Chicago Police Department News Affairs office said:

A private dump truck ran over a 48-year-old male pedestrian as he was crossing in a crosswalk at Laflin & Cermak Rd. The victim was later pronounced DOA at Stroger Hospital.

The 48-year-old driver of the truck, Eduardo Cantu, of the 1800 block of Gunderson Ave, Berwyn, IL, was cited with Running a Stop Sign, Striking a Pedestrian in the Roadway, and Failure to Yield to a Pedestrian in a Crosswalk. At this time, Mr. Cantu is scheduled to appear in Traffic Court December 27, 2012.

This location is the site of the new Cermak and Blue Island Sustainable Streetscape project. This intersection received newly marked, international style crosswalks and a pedestrian refuge island. It’s directly in front of Benito Juarez Community Academy in Pilsen.

Inexpensive gas this week, and the Thanksgiving holiday, means more driving, so November might be as deadly as August was this year.

* The information is only accurate as of this post’s publishing time. View previous Fatality Tracker posts. The Illinois Safety Data Mart reports 28 pedestrian crashes (likely excluding the two in this update) but their information is incomplete until it’s fully processed.

Adam Herstein

Despite what the law states, it’s extremely rare that someone driving actually stops for me when I’m standing at a crosswalk. Even if I start crossing, people won’t stop.

http://www.stevevance.net/ Steven Vance

My life sustainment goal is to avoid being in the roadway as a pedestrian. I’m almost always on a bike so sometimes crossing the street in a crosswalk feels awkward for me.

Adam Herstein

I find myself looking back and forth about ten times before I cross the street. Riding my bike in the city made me realize how careless drivers can be, so I started exercising more caution around them.

Risk rides

Now that I bike commute I stopped crossing the street from between cars. If I jaywalk at all it’s at the crosswalk.
http://transitized.com/ Shaun Jacobsen

It is bad at some crosswalks even at signaled intersections. Even with a red light, drivers turning right will speed up to the crosswalk. Just happened to me last night at Wilson and Racine as I was crossing (I had the green).
Also – “failure to exercise due care”… what punishment does that carry, exactly? If someone dies crossing the street but was technically in the wrong, do we let the driver off scot-free?

Adam Herstein

IMO, anyone who kills someone with their car should be charged with negligent homicide. That, of course, never happens.

http://twitter.com/efeesq efe

How sad. I’m convinced that if you want someone dead, all you have to do is run them over with your car. Worst case, you get some traffic citations. Sure beats a murder charge. I am outraged at the number of pedestrian fatalities in this city. Maybe one of these days CPD will make it a priority to, you know, actually enforce traffic laws. People drive the way they do because there are absolutely no consequences for them.