LETTER: Drivers must pay attention

Editor,

It is evident to me that people driving around campus do not understand what to do when approaching a crosswalk with someone in it. In the Police Blotter on Sept. 29 and Oct. 6 there were reports of traffic hit and run accidents involving people in crosswalks and automobiles. Obviously, people don’t realize that when someone is crossing the street in a crosswalk you have to stop or yield the right of way to the person in the crosswalk.

Recently, I experienced this lack of apparent understanding when crossing the street by the Edith Bowen School. I was about two feet from the double yellows when some idiot who didn’t want to wait for two more seconds decided it would be better to completely pull into oncoming traffic, thus endangering not only my life but his life and those coming from the opposite direction. Then he had the gall to wave at me like we were old friends and it was no big deal what he had just done. Grow up! By not yielding to pedestrians, you endanger people’s lives.

I am concerned that people do not understand this concept. I attended another college were a student hit another student crossing the street and killed her. Although it was a complete accident, charges were considered, from my understanding. Students, drivers and police, do we need to have a death and someone charged with manslaughter before we fully confront this problem? I submit that these last two incidents of hit and run accidents should be a gross wake-up call for all those who drive, walk and enforce the law around campus.

Steve Hills