The attempt of an elderly man to cross the street in an unauthorized place in the Riga district of Purvciems ended tragically. The man was not marked with reflective elements, so the driver of the passenger car did not manage to notice him. A regulated pedestrian crossing was located just a few dozen meters away, where it is safe to cross the road, but the desire to shorten the path proved stronger, reports the Degpunktā program (TV3).
Late in the evening, when it was already dark outside, an elderly man decided to cross a four-lane street at a location not equipped with a crosswalk. He did not make it to the other side – he was struck by a passenger car. Soon, the blue lights of emergency services reflected in the windows of apartment buildings and caught the attention of residents.
"It was already dark. Cars, police, ambulance. There was a technical vehicle from 'Rīgas satiksme', a man was walking with a police officer, explaining something. We didn't see the beginning. It was right in front of our windows, so we saw the light of the sirens," eyewitnesses recount.
"Yesterday at around 16:40 on Stirnu Street in Riga, the driver of a Lexus car hit a pedestrian – a man born in 1941, who, according to preliminary information from the police, did not have reflective elements and was crossing the road in an unauthorized place. As a result of the accident, the pedestrian died," said State Police representative Lina Bagdone.
From the strong impact, a crack formed on the driver's side of the windshield, the mirror was broken, and the bumper was also cracked. A large pool of blood remained at the spot where the man fell, but it was washed away by the rain overnight.
Approximately 30 meters from the scene of the incident is a regulated pedestrian crossing. While there, Degpunktā noticed that many pedestrians choose to cross the street in the middle, trying to shorten their path to their destination, but significantly increasing the risk of collision.
"It often happens that they don’t even press the button and don’t wait. And elderly people do this too. [DP: But away from the crossing?] Away, away, they mostly run. [DP: How do drivers react?] Some honk, some brake. But mostly they don’t speed, except for the 'ambulances'. The 'ambulances' speed, and you have to take that into account because 'Gaiļezers' is nearby, and they drive here quite often," says a local resident.
This time, the driver did not manage to brake, and the consequences of the pedestrian's recklessness turned out to be irreversible. The State Police have initiated a criminal process regarding the incident and are clarifying all circumstances. Law enforcement urges witnesses to come forward by calling 67086660 or 112.
