A crash which occurred on Friday, July 20 left two female pedestrians injured, with one in critical condition.
The incident took place around 3:45 p.m. at the intersection of 43rd and Main streets. Police say an SUV was turning left from 43rd onto Main when the two women were struck. The driver of the vehicle remained on the scene.
One of the victims was transported to an area hospital in critical condition, while the other sustained injuries that authorities said were not life-threatening.
“Our attention at the moment is on ensuring that the woman in critical condition survives,” noted BikeWalkKC executive director Eric Rogers. “We’re glad the other victim’s injuries are not life-threatening, but we’re deeply concerned that this crash took place where it did: on a well-established crosswalk along one of the main thoroughfares of the city.”
“Crashes involving pedestrians should not be happening at all, but they especially should not have happened here,” said BikeWalkKC’s policy director Eric Bunch. “Clearly, there are not enough preventative measures in place to ensure that pedestrians are safe when crossing the street, and that needs to change.”
As BikeWalkKC has stated in the past, what deserves the brunt of the blame for these crashes is the culture that values car traffic efficiency over the safety of human lives.
For more information, contact Karen Campbell, director of development and communications, at (816) 205-7056 or by email at karen.campbell@bikewalkkc.org.
BikeWalkKC believes that crashes are not accidents and clothing is not an excuse.