BANGOR, Maine — An 11-year-old boy walking to school early Thursday on Union Street was hit by a pickup truck as he crossed the onramp to Interstate 95, the same location a local woman was fatally injured in July, Bangor police Sgt. Paul Edwards said.
“It’s exactly the same area,” the sergeant said.
The boy, who suffered leg injuries, “said he started walking and didn’t see the truck until it was right there,” Edwards said of the 7:20 a.m. accident. “The truck driver didn’t see him. They both didn’t see each other.”
Wayne Welch, 54, of Hermon was driving north on Interstate 95 when he took the exit at Union Street and drove straight through the intersection, which takes drivers to Ohio Street or back onto the highway.
“A witness saw this and said the pedestrian was at fault,” Edwards said. “He was in the crosswalk illegally.”
The crosswalk has an electronic monitor that informs walkers when it is safe, he said.
Even with a “walk” sign, “You still have to be careful. It’s a four-way intersection,” Edwards said.
The boy, who Bangor Daily News is not identifying, was taken by ambulance to Eastern Maine Medical Center. No information about the boy was available a hospital spokeswoman said Thursday afternoon.
No charges are pending, Edwards said.
Five months ago, Bangor resident Brecon Oldham was seriously injured when she was struck by a car in the intersection and later died at the hospital. Oldham was hit in the same crosswalk by a woman trying to turn right from Union Street onto the interstate.
The city’s Public Works Department handles traffic lights and will be given a copy of the report, Edwards said. Whether additional signs or other measures are taken will be up to that department, he said.
When Joshua R. Constantine, 37, of Bangor was hit by a car and killed in June on Main Street near the entrance to Shaw’s supermarket, public works crews installed a crosswalk in the area one month later.
Anytime people approach an intersection, even those with lighted electronic walk signs, they should look both ways before stepping onto roadways.
“Pedestrians need to be very careful when crossing,” Edwards said.
I agree that pedestrians need to be alert but drivers in all parts of Bangor need to slow down! Too many drivers are running red lights at busy intersections as well.
So very true!
A boy this young unsupervised crossing at an I-95 on ramp crossing.
Too dangerous,in all regards.
So when you were eleven you were to dumb to cross the street alone? I lived in New York City, and started walking to school at 5, by 9 I was riding my bike, and guess what… Never the victim of a motor vehicle. (or anything else for that matter.)
Of course “officer Friendly” and my parents were continually teaching me how to behave in congested areas.
It’s just not any street he was crossing. He should have had a “buddy” walking with him even at 11. It’s too busy of an area for any child to be crossing alone.
We disagree. No big surprise there.
You are special , Tux.
I hope this young man is out in the school yard with his buddies real soon. He’ll look back on this years down the road with a story to tell. He’s lucky, it could have been much worse.
Wow, 11 years old and he already has some biddies to play with? He sure will have stories to tell! :)
lol
red lights in bangor have become hurry through lights.Also wish people would learn to merge into traffic.Most either stop or do not look merging into traffic on the interstate.
There’s a great big ole red and white sign that says Yield before getting on the interstate which applies to people on a ramp.
I have found if you let your car run and get the oil pumping through the engine for 5 minutes after work it’s pretty much gives you a smooth, trouble free ride home and you get there faster then trying to race everyone.
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1101499
Myth: Let your engine warm up for several minutes before driving.
Reality: That might have been good advice for yesteryear’s cars but is less so today. Modern engines warm up more quickly when they’re driven. And the sooner they warm up, the sooner they reach maximum efficiency and deliver the best fuel economy and performance. But don’t rev the engine high over the first few miles while it’s warming up.
I was thinking more in terms of letting the fluids move around, not so much as warming the oil or engine.
Yeah the good ole days. I learned to drive on a 55 Chevy, standard on the column, dimmer switch on the floor next to the clutch. The starter was a floor button next to the gas pedal. No power steering.
G.M hasn’t used a floor-button starter since the 30’s. 55 Chevrolets started with a key There are some folks around today who will tell you that for the money ($2,300 give or take) the 55 Chevrolet was the best automobile ever made. My personal favorite was the 1940 Ford V8 business coupe.
Buick was the last car to have a non-key starter (until very recently when Lexus and others started using dashboard start buttons again) you pushed the gas pedal to the floor and the starter engaged. Buick used this system from the late thirties until 1959.
Well I can’t say for certain that it wasn’t put in after purchase but it’s still there, it’s always been there and it doesn’t look like it was installed after and it is a pick up. It was later changed to a stick on the floor.
My father bought it in 57 and and it had the floor starter then, it does have a key. You had to turn the key on before you hit the floor starter.
Will be seeing my folks today and I will ask my father if it was a factory install, however this might not be open for blogging by the time I get back, but I’ll dump the info on another blog where it’ll fit in, if this is closed.
Sorry my bad. I thought you were discussing cars. Yes, the GM trucks DID have floor button starters until even the early sixties in some cases.
I apologize.
Apology accepted, but no need and my father said it was a factory install. It still works too.
My father hauled a 10×55 mobile home with that truck and he use to plow driveways when I was a kid.
The every other car thing confuses people. Very complex stuff.
You are no longer greeted by Merge signs at the end of on ramps … you are required to Yield.
Two things. First, note the language Sgt. Edwards uses in describing the incident. The boy “was in the crosswalk illegally”. How often does one hear a law enforcement officer say a motorist drives through a crosswalk “illegally” when someone is waiting to lawfully cross? Or how often does one hear an officer say a motorist was illegally driving through a neighborhood over the speed limit? Or hitting a woman lawfully using a crosswalk as being an ILLEGAL ACTION.
Second, our cities have DESIGN problems. They have morphed into places, not where there are homes, businesses, and industries, but places where these things incidentally exist but are paved over as fast roads and huge parking lots for cars and trucks. Isn’t it a shame that a boy cannot easily walk to school without having to cross busy feeder ramps to a highway? Yes, the boy was in the crosswalk when the sign said “Don’t Walk”, but such a route to school is not a route one would traverse in a liveable neighborhood.
My thoughts are with both the boy and the driver of the truck.
Excpect a few people here to reply to you with their assumptions that pedestrians have the right of way regardless if they are jaywalking or not.
I had someone tell me that crossing against the light is fine as long as you are in a crosswalk. Its not.
Who is to say that he didn’t start out witha walk light? The lights do not stay on long enough to cross the street in most instances.
Well that makes it all better then? At least the light was on when he STARTED to cross?
Those lights give you plenty of time if you are paying attention and cross at a normal rate of speed…something good pedestrians should always do.
EDIT and by “the light” I mean the traffic signal since that is the definitive source of who currently has the right-of-way. I know the walk/don’t walk lights are neat and shiny….but regardless of those working or not you should ALWAYS make sure the traffic light is with you..not against you.
Many people cannot cross the streets in what you call a “normal” rate of speed, such as a young child with a parent holding her hand, or an elderly/ handicapped person. Try crossing with a cane and maybe a limp and see. The lights can stay on another half minute and people in cars can wait.
The lights are timed for the common denominator, which is capable people walking at a normal pace. I know that sounds a bit heartless, and its really a whole “life isnt fair” kind of thing. Cater to the slow and people will run more lights. Cater to the fast and slow people have trouble crossing. There has to be a balance. Can’t make everyone happy.
I’m sure if I had one leg and was in a cast-iron suit I’d go slow across the road. Its just one of those things.
The lights can not be “timed” for the pedestrian in any case. If you get to the crosswalk when the light has just changed, you have time to walk across. If you get to the intersection after the light is stale, maybe not so much time.
In Dallas the City has invested in lights operated by censors. if there is a pedestrian in the cross walk the light will not change until they have stepped up on the curb. Maybe something for Bangor to consider.
Those white pedestrian lights change way too quickly, even if one runs across!
If the light begins to flash while you are already crossing, that’s just a warning that the signal for vehicles will turn green soon.
Your second paragraph is right on the money. Cities are designed for cars rather than people, which encourages people to drive instead of walk or bicycle or use public transportation, or a combination of all three. Bangor has great potential as a livable, multi-use city, but people have to be willing to get out of their cars and public policy should encourage them to.
Always appreciate your comments about public transportation, walking, etc. I could not agree more.
Well put
We have only “the one witness” who says the child was at fault, and unless you have been involved in the justice system you wouldn’t believe how often “eye witnesses” are totally incorrect.
The child may have crossed against the light, or maybe not. either way, motorists need to look out for pedestrians at all times, but particularly during times when children are likely to be sharing the roads with them.
the driver should have been paying more attention and slow down at intersections..this happens all to often, but of course its the person walking at fault..and PROVE he was not in the crosswalk with a walk signal, this witness is ridiculous your telling me this witness took the time to look up and see what the cross walk was registering as the boy was hit LAUGHABLE…parents take this to trial if I was on the jury id side with you and not the witness
One often takes their life into their hands walking around Bangor. People are all in such a hurry. Today a young woman was so busy talking on her cell phone that she did not even notice the light change.
I like it when they randomly step off the curb into traffic while checking their facebook.
Actually that woman was driving her vehicle while doing that.
Its a problem that goes both ways, definitely. Drivers not paying attention, pedestrians not paying attention….if EVERYONE paid more attention we wouldn’t have these issues.
Its a dam-ed phone it will be there when you get to the other side of the street/your motoring destination.
The driver involved is a gentlemen. He’s a responsible person with a good reputation. Were you there? It sure sounds like it. It was an unfortunate accident-end of story.
He wasn’t there because he’s not from Maine
“parents take this to trial if I was on the jury id side with you and not the witness”
It is INCREDIBLY frightening to consider there are other people like you, sitting on juries, who have made up their mind without any more info than what the newspaper provided.
You have NO clue what happened, you have NO idea what the witness saw…and you just told everyone reading this paper that you would immediately convict the driver….our justice system be dam-ed. Amazing.
Please…PLEASE don’t ever sit on a jury, or participate in ANYTHING else that would effect the course of another person’s life. This includes procreating.
Stop being silly, lighten up and I have sat on more than one Jury. And with the help of Obama and Maine voters, nobody will pro-Create will they….. “naturally” =) The way mother nature intended it…oh wait but that is false too…lol
Yep…you’re simple.
LOL…..”YEP” oh boy your a Mainer…shallow mind
“You’re” and i don’t care what massh0les think of me.
I had that blaming the victim mentality, but parents absolutely need to teach their children to cross only at crosswalks. Obviously accidents will always happen and drivers should be on the lookout, but don’t make things harder. Cross where it is proper and make sure drivers see you. You might have the right of way, but the right of way doesn’t save your life in all instances.
Did you read the part where the child was in the crosswalk, but illegally? Being in a crosswalk does not give the pedestrian the right of way when he is crossing against the signal.
Maybe they have changed the law, but back in the 1980’s In Maine the pedestrian ALWAYS had the right of way in crosswalks, even when crossing against the light.
Maine has some weird traffic laws… Did you know that is is perfectly legal in Maine to pass across a double yellow line? Did you know that it is illegal to pass on a two lane bridge EVEN IF the line indicates a passing zone? Did you know it is perfectly legal to park in a handicapped space if the only indication that it is a handicapped space is the painted sign on the pavement?
I’m skeptical about your first claim, as I’m not finding anything in the Google news archives. All I see is that a lot of pedestrian laws were re-codified in the early 1990s.
Until 1999, motorists did not need to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk if the pedestrian was not on the same side, or near to the same side, of the road the motorist was traveling on.
As for your second claim, that is false. It used to be legal to pass on a double yellow line. The law was changed in 2005.
Additionally, it’s illegal to pass another vehicle when the VIEW IS OBSTRUCTED within 100 feet of a bridge. There is nothing in 29-A MRSA Sect. 2070 that says it’s always illegal to pass on a bridge.
As for handicap spaces, I knew that. But it’s part of the Americans With Disabilities Act, a federal law. The reason is simple: markings on pavement only can fade or be obscured by dirt, snow, or ice.
Gosh you are so smart. I’ll just bet all your friends are so impressed.
I make no apologies for doing my research and being able to provide supporting evidence for my opinions.
I work on Union Street and people drive like they are on I-95, and there are a lot of pedestrians, pretty scary
The speed through there is 25MPH and NO ONE does 25. I know I’ll get some old biddy here telling me they always obey the speed limit, BUT if true, never when I’ve been on Union Street.
Is that a photo capturing the moment the child was run over/struck? If so, poor taste of judgement in posting that bdn
You really can’t be serious…
It is a picture showing the intersection and altered to show perhaps the speed of vehicles crossing Union St
The only poor judgment is the paper’s increasing use of poor cellphone photos.
They cropped off the timestamp for ya though.
;-)
NEWS is news, and if the paper was lucky enough to obtain a photo of a accident, they have an obligation to consider using it.
The child lived, by the report he’s not severely damaged, in my mind a photo like this might make drivers think about their responsibilities.
Two weeks ago at night I was second car getting ready to turn onto I 95 North on Union, and the vehicle in front (green light) of me almost hit a pedestrian crossing the entrance to the on ramp. I don’t know how he missed the person, because it was dark raining night. Walkers have got to be responsible and not take it for granted drivers see them. I think it’s the craziest on and off ramps in the State.Drivers going to enter the North ramp doesn’t only have to watch for pedestrian they have to watch for cars coming off I 95 crossing Union heading for Ohio Street.
I have a 10 and 12 year old and no way in hell would they b walking to school especially in that area maybe its just me but there’s something wrong with that to begin with.
Obviously from your “likes” it’s not just you. But taking a child to school everyday, or putting him on a bus does nothing to teach him how to get along in our society, It also does nothing to improve his health.
Incidents like this are rare, and most walking children get to school just fine, We have a fat-kid problem in Maine that will (eventually) kill more people than a simple walk to school, but I guess in a free society you get to choose your poison.
In many areas in this state this is not possible. We live 6 miles from the school and there is no way that I am going to send my kids out the door at 4 a.m. to get to school by 7:30 a.m.
6 miles is a bit different to 1/2 to 1 mile. I see no reason at all why and 11 year old should not be able to walk to school alone assuming it is within reasonable walking distance.
tell that to the family of a child who fairly recently got abducted and murdered on her way to school, it was two blocks…her mother could see the school from their driveway…. the times are much more dangerous than when we were kids. its not safe for any child to be walking alone, whether they be 5 or 16.
Where did this happen? If it wasn’t in Bangor, then it is not relevant.
It is no less safe today than it was in the 1950’s, we simply hear more about it that’s all.
It’ s obviously not just you but frankly I think you’re a bit over-protective.
Sadly he won’t be the last person hit in that crosswalk. It is one of the most dangerous in the Bangor area.
Why didn’t the driver see him.It was 7:20 on a sunlit ,clear day?
It has high guard rail’s because it’s next to a bridge. Houses close to the road, trees to stop noise and two streets real near the intersection. They have tried to put 3 lanes on one side and two on the other…….. might make it hard for a car to see a kid and a kid see a car.
That’s exactly why he didn’t see him. At that time of the morning, the sun is directly in your eyes…it is very blinding. I commute thru there at that time everyday.
You would think Bangor is a peaceful city letting your 11 year old out alone to walk to school down Union St.
Once again someone is nearly killed due to a culture that
values getting somewhere faster rather than a human life. Bangor has a real problem with excessive
speed, noise, and insular mindset. If you’re wondering why this city is falling
into the pits, look at yourselves and ask, “What have I done to improve the
quality of life for others before myself?”
Glad that the kid did not sustain life threatening injuries, he was lucky. I know that the cars on Union St. and many other areas of the city go through the so-called Orange lights and unlke Brewer, there is never a cop around to warn people. I also know that there have been far too many pedestrians being hit by cars lately and that has more to do with everyone driving being in such a rush than it does the pedestrians crossing the streets. There used to be a sense or caution in driving, but no more. Now its how fast can you beat someone to that parking space, how quick can you go to get through that next light and how fast can we get from point A to point B. Its pretty scary. As for the parents saying its abnormal for an 11 year old to be crossing that intersection, give us a break. Wouldnt it be nice if we could all afford a sitter to come and walk little Johnny home from school every day while we are working our 2.3 jobs per day to make ends meet…Unfortunately that is a pipe dream. Even with all of the violence and danger of these situations popping up, its far from unusual anywhere in the country for an 11 year old to be walking home from school. I did it from the age of 8…never rode a bus till High School.
thank you! more often than not, both parents work and work starts when work starts and school starts when school starts. it would be a lovely world where moms and dads can leisurely walk little johnny to school every day but it doesn’t work that way. my kids ride a bus to school and i’m amazed how often people do NOT stop for school buses. either they don’t pay attention or they’re late and don’t want to lose more time stopping. from the rate of speed i watch cars go by my house in the morning, i’m guessing the latter.
maybe the driver was running late; maybe the kid was late for school and thinking about that instead of being careful crossing. it only takes a split second of these kinds of things to happen. if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ve all had near misses. save the judgement.
Wouldn’t you think….for just a second now, that the City would put a cross walk guard at THAT particular crossing, during peak student hours , knowing that it’s intention is to reduce the danger after the death? they know the dangers…right? I’ve seen some of the comments; Eleven years old, is old enough to walk to school. Yes, people are trying to get to work at that same hour……that kids are trying to get to school. I blame the City…and people who don’t pay attention…ultimately it up to the City which knew it was hazardous, publicized how they are going to change things……..and did nothing in the meantime? I mean in the age of on board computers, cell phones, GPS systems, stop lights, text messaging (hand less)…..and then …an old fashioned cross walk? I’ve seen law enforcement looking down at their computers and gizmos, talking on their shoulder handsets; talking on cell phones….some of them with sun glasses on on a cloudy day. I guess that’s what this whole situation is……..a cloudy day. But we are left with an eleven year old with “memories”……..nice.
Pedestrians of any age are ALWAYS the drivers responsibility. The driver has a 2K lb. lethal weapon, the pedestrian has only his clothing and skin.
I saw the site of the fatality minutes after it happened…
For many more years than I care to admit, I hauled lumber up and down the east coast with my 18 wheeler. My longest trip was into Arkansas and return. The one location that I dreaded most was Bangor, Maine. Never was involved in an accident, although had some close calls. Coming south from The County, I would slide into the left lane, clearly marked thru traffic (near the Hogan Rd overpass) and proceed at 55MPH like the sign says. Continueing south I was tailgated, middle fingered,lights flashed, double middle fingered, horns blowing by several drivers as they pass me on the right. Even their passengers would get into the act using various hand signals out the window that I’ve seen rappers use on tv.( I’m into gospel rap) I don’t think they mean happy birthday. Speed was always a concern. Some drivers coming down onramps were doing more that 55mph and had difficulty merging. Actually, speed on I95 worried me because the vast majority of drivers were doing 55 and the speeders made things difficult. Rarely is there a cruiser in the area. Gov Lepage could put Maine in the black if he permanently assigned 4 troopers to the Bangor section of I95.
Big trucks, cars and pickups alike all have some drivers who push a bit too hard. Now my trips thru Bangor are in my pickup. Nothing changed-still too many distracted drivers, speeders and NO law enforcement. Not knocking Bangor or it’s people, just the facts please.
It is my understanding that in Maine people in the crosswalk have the right-of-way EVEN when the intersection has traffic devices. If I’m wrong, please don’t tell me as I always defer to the pedestrian, no matter what the law is.
Union Street and Stillwater/Hogan Rd are very dangerous for pedestrians and those crossing lights are not set for safety for the most part. I walk this stretch on Union almost daily and have had 4 near misses each week. The lights need fixing and there needs to be some education for both the pedestrians and drivers yet maybe it is time to look at alternate ways to cross.
People know that autos should stop for people in a cross walk.. Yet Do walkers know that autos do not have to Stop for people in a controled crosswalk unless the walk light is on… Then we have our cell phone users and people bopping in cross walks who are deliberatly taking extra time to cross because the are a– wipes.. This crosswalk did not, nor do any other crosswalks have a force field in them to protect people. Accidents happen because they are accidents, some preventable some not. May he have a speedy recovery
Even though there is a walk signal at that crossing, it’s still not safe. I have had to cross there numerous times and every time I waited for a walk signal there are still cars turning on to the north bound ramp right where I am walking. Something drastic needs to happen here.