Each day, Osoyoos’s Irene Nagy takes her mom, Margaret Pap, out for a walk. But Nagy finds it very difficult to cross Hwy. 3 at a crosswalk anywhere near her home in east Osoyoos. Here, she tries to push her mother’s wheelchair up a grassy slope at the crosswalk next to the Pioneer Walkway. Photo by Laurena Weninger - Click on picture for larger image
OSOYOOS TIMES-August 18, 2010
By Laurena Weninger – Osoyoos Times
A 15-year-old boy from Bridesville ended up in hospital with head and leg injuries after being struck while crossing a crosswalk on Main Street by a suspected impaired driver.
The boy was riding his bicycle at about 5:40 p.m. on Aug. 13 at the crosswalk at the intersection of Main Street and 85th Street from the south side of the street to the north side when he was struck by a westbound 1997 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by a 46-year-old Osoyoos man.
The victim was first taken to Oliver’s South Okanagan General Hospital before being taken to Penticton Regional Hospital with head and leg injuries which police described as “significant.”
Cpl. Jason Bayda, an Osoyoos RCMP spokesman, said that as of the night of Aug. 14, the boy was still in hospital.
He said the boy had sustained a laceration to his head and an injury to his leg, although no bones were broken.
The boy was also bruised, Bayda said.
Police said the driver of the truck was arrested for driving while impaired and allegedly had a blood-alcohol content of more than 0.08.
He is facing possible charges of impaired driving, driving over the 0.08 threshold.
Bayda said the driver could also face other possible charges such as dangerous driving depending on the Crown’s investigation into the matter.
Police are still looking into the incident.
The crash comes at a time when a number of people in town are concerned about Osoyoos’s crosswalks.
“It’s dangerous,” said Irene Nagy, who lives on the east side of Osoyoos, near hotel row.
Each day, she attempts to push her mom, Margaret Pap, in a wheelchair, across Hwy. 3 to the Pioneer Walkway.
“There’s no way I can push the wheelchair across,” Nagy said.
There are two crosswalks nearby that she attempts to use.
The first, near the Richter Pass Motor Inn, is easy enough to access on one side of the highway.
But when she gets to the other side, near Pioneer Walkway, there is no ramp.
The hill slopes upward, and is covered with grass making it unusable for anyone in a wheelchair.
There is another crosswalk nearby, further west, but it doesn’t cross where there is a cut in the curb.
That means Nagy has to push her mother’s wheelchair down the highway a little ways before she can get onto the painted crosswalk.
As a result, Nagy jaywalks, just in front of the Desert Surfside Motel, where she can get access to the sidewalk on either side of the highway.
“People probably think, ‘Why don’t you go to the crosswalk,’” she said, adding she is finding it a difficult situation. “It’s unsafe and it’s illegal too.”
She’s right.
According to Staff Sgt. Kurt Lozinski of the Osoyoos RCMP, failing to use a crosswalk can bring a fine of $109.
Lozinski also has some concerns about drivers and pedestrians when it comes to Osoyoos’s crosswalks.
“Personally, I am appalled how some drivers treat crosswalks in our community and as such we are addressing this issue through more enforcement,” Lozinski said. “It seems that with the influx of tourists into our community that many people do not understand that they must yield to pedestrians in the crosswalks.”
But he also said he thinks some of the downtown crosswalks are unsafe.
“The ones I am most concerned about are the two along Hwy. 3 by Watermark/Family Foods and the one by the Subway.”
Lozinski said he has watched pedestrians run across the street out of fear of getting hit by a car.
He is also concerned about the crosswalk at 62nd Avenue and Hwy. 97.
In January, 2008, a 19-year-old Osoyoos man received head injuries after being struck by a car while attempting to cross Hwy. 97 at that crosswalk.
“These crosswalks should be lighted (such as what is in place at the 87th Street crossing) and better controlled,” Lozinski said. “I believe that some of the crosswalks are not well marked and are in need of immediate alterations or upkeep.”
Lozinski said he has brought up the issue before Osoyoos council, but Hwy. 3 is under the jurisdiction of the B.C. Transportation Ministry.
He said he has been in touch with the ministry, but has not heard back.
Linda Gold, a spokeswoman from the ministry, said ministry staff have been in contact with RCMP about the safety of the crosswalks in Osoyoos.
“Staff will be taking pedestrian and vehicle counts at these locations this summer,” Gold said in an email. “This information will be reviewed by the regional traffic engineer for recommendations.”
She said if better markings or signage are warranted, the ministry will include that work in next year’s works upgrades program.
“Staff have advised the RCMP they are looking at the location of one of the crosswalks adjacent to the new Watermark development to either relocate or consolidate this location with the other crosswalks into a location with better markings.”
The ministry will also work with the RCMP and the Town of Osoyoos on any new crosswalk strategies for this location if recommended by the traffic engineer.
Also, the ministry currently has a contractor in the district refreshing faded crosswalk markings with thermoplastic and the crosswalks will be improved as needed.
Coun. Michael Ryan said crosswalk safety is a big concern to council, but again, the matter is a provincial one.
He said council has been in touch with the ministry, which continues to tell the Town they will “do a study.”
But that’s not a good enough answer for Ryan.
“Do we have to have someone get injured or killed first?” he said. “The main concern is cars don’t stop.”
Ryan would like to see signs placed in the middle of the road, indicating that drivers must yield to pedestrians.
He would also like council to consider helping to foot the financial bill for some such signage or other improvements.
Lozinski said there are fines for pedestrians and drivers for failing to follow the rules.
Failure to use the crosswalk and failing to yield to a vehicle when not in a crosswalk can each result in a $109 fine.
A driver who fails to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk can be fined $167, as can passing a vehicle yielding to a pedestrian.
“We do receive several calls a week from upset people using the crosswalks,” Lozinski said.
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