I saw a pedestrian cross a busy intersection the other day.
On my way to pick my son up from school, I stopped at a red light at a busy intersection. On the southeast corner, to my right stood a man, no more than about 5 ft 7 in tall, dressed in a muted orange shirt and long black khaki pants, about his mid-fifties, judging from the characteristics of his face.
He held a reusable shopping bag and lottery tickets in his right hand, using his left to push the crosswalk button. (I only noticed this detail because he would have used the opposite hand if he was right-handed.)
After vigorously pressing the button two or three times, he took off his glasses and rubbed his face, then cleaned the lenses with his shirt, putting his bifocals back on his face and looking up toward the sun to ensure no smudges remained.
He then stuck his left hand in his shirt pocket, pulling out a package of gum, confirming my observation that he was indeed left-handed. After unwrapping a stick, he began to chew, discarding the wrapper on the sidewalk, which did not contain a trash can.
The pedestrian waited patiently for the walk prompt from the digital sign on the other side of the street. When it changed, he looked left, then right, then did the same again before stepping off the corner and into the road.
He made it to the halfway point, stopping on the median to look both ways again, a very wise decision, given two cars – both turning left – were headed directly into his path. The one closest to the median was a subcompact coupe, whose driver promptly slowed to a stop, yielding to the pedestrian as required by traffic law.
As the pedestrian began to proceed to make his way across the other half of the intersection, he was surprised by another motorist, turning left within the center lane, whose driver was not obeying the rules of the road. Nor was the person behind the wheel voluntarily extending any similar courtesy as the person operating the subcompact car on the driver’s left.
The pedestrian, frightened by the speedy approach of the vehicle in the middle lane – a large silver luxury sedan – instantly stopped in his tracks, for fear of being struck by the oncoming car. However, the luxury vehicle driver did suddenly brake and even waved the pedestrian across the road.
He walked hastily across the center lane and then quickened his pace across the third to reach the corner on the other side of the intersection. He proceeded into a convenience store. As the door closed behind him, the red light I had stopped for had changed to green. So, I made my left-hand turn and proceeded on my route to pick up my teen from school.
As I drove to the campus, I thought about what I had just witnessed – a pedestrian crossing a busy intersection and all the dangers that simple task posed.
Day-to-day life in the quintessential suburban sprawl is like that. The vast majority of people get around in cars and very few walk. In fact, rideshares are greatly preferred over what Jamaicans refer to as “ten-toe turbo.”
There are several reasons for these preferences. First and foremost, this is a hugely extensive area, with very little within comfortable walking distance – even in pleasant weather conditions.
Second, about six months out of the year, it’s simply too hot and humid to hoof it from one location to another. Thirdly, but certainly not least, the entire area is conducive to private transit, public transit is not highly utilized here – even in the two nearest metropolitan cities where there’s a heavy and healthy mix of residential and commercial spaces. (Even within those two urban environments, people mostly get around in their own vehicles, instead of walking or public transportation.)
Consequently, the roads are hectic and traffic is something everyone must deal with, almost regardless of the time of day or season. Conditions worsen most during spring break and through the winter months when tourists and part-time residents flock to the area to enjoy the beaches and theme parks.
This is an international destination, for a variety of reasons. Mostly because of the white sand beaches and the warm weather. But it’s also centrally located, being just 90 minutes away from the theme park capital of the world.
Plus, there are a number of notable local destinations for shopping, dining, and entertainment. For example, no fewer than seven malls are less than 30 minutes from this very intersection.
The furthest is just over 20 miles and about 28 minutes away. Another is around 18 miles and twenty-five minutes. A third is a tad under 16 miles and 23 minutes and a fourth is almost exactly 5 miles and 12 minutes. Then, the fifth, under 5 miles and 12 minutes. The closest two are 4 ½ and 11 minutes and 3 ½ miles and 8 minutes.
They’re all big, some significantly larger than others. But every single one of them hosts thousands of people per day. All boast huge name-brand anchor stores, sizable and diverse food courts, and practically every one of them has a movie theater, not to mention these locations are easily accessible from a number of directions, making them very convenient retail spots.
Because of the many attractions and a wide variety of other local destinations, including beaches, museums, and restaurants, there are drivers that come from all over the country and from other countries as well. The effect is a very incoherent mixture of driving habits that manifest themselves in a number of precarious ways.
Such conditions result in a high number of traffic collisions, which are most definitely not limited to just vehicles, but also motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. By the numbers, the homeless make up a substantial percentage of traffic-related pedestrian injuries and deaths, due to their mental state and/or substance abuse.
But, there’s also a considerable percentage of injuries and fatalities involving motorcycles and bicycles, almost all of them caused by human error. As for the rest of pedestrian-related injuries and deaths involving motor vehicles, a disproportionate number of these incidents occur due to pedestrians failing to utilize designated crosswalks.
Unfortunately, too many people attempt to cross busy streets dodging oncoming traffic. The majority opt to scurry, perilously evading speeding vehicles of all shapes and sizes – from compact coupes to crossover SUVs, to minivans, box trucks, and delivery vans, to full-size trucks and semi-tractor trailers.
I’ve seen such risky crossings many times before. Most of the time, individuals, but other times couples or families. Regardless, they all face the real possibility of being struck. In fact, I’ve personally witnessed several close calls, with pedestrians narrowly escaping serious injury or even death.
After briefly mulling it all over, I turned my attention back to the road and soon approached the campus. I watched the students pour out of the school as usual. Most were in their required uniforms, but others were dressed in sports jerseys and casual attire, appropriate for extracurricular activities.
A few minutes later, my son appeared, his backpack slung over one shoulder and his lunchbox dangled from his right hand. He opened the rear passenger door, tossed his belongings onto the backseat, then sat in the front passenger seat next to me.
As usual, I asked how his day went, which he answered with a simple, “Fine,” something that would vex my wife, who would press for details. But, I’ve discovered over the years, it’s best to ask questions at the dinner table so his mother can hear what he has to say.
Coming off the campus, he inquired what I had planned for dinner, and after asking if he had any homework, I told him what I’d prepared earlier, a savoy dish simmering in the slow cooker. With that, he promptly did what was customary, pulling out his earbuds and immersing himself in his phone.
But, before he started binging video shorts, he asked if we had to stop for any errands on the way home. I shook my head, replied “No,” and he promptly returned to the screen. This brief interaction constituted our regular routine and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
That is, until we reached the same intersection where I saw the pedestrian cross only fifteen to twenty minutes before. From a distance, red, blue, and white flashing lights blinked atop law enforcement and emergency vehicles, with several people, practically all of which were in uniforms standing around the curb.
I tapped my son on the shoulder, pointing at the scene. He looked up from his phone, then pulled out his earbuds, staring curiously at what he saw. He asked what had happened and I told him that it was probably a traffic collision.
Approaching the intersection, I only saw one car cordoned off by law enforcement and emergency vehicles – the gaps in between filled with orange cones.
On the corner, firefighters, paramedics, and sheriff’s deputies stood over a white sheet, covering a body.
Meanwhile, other deputies were questioning and consoling a young woman, apparently the driver of a nearby sedan, its driver-side door open, and its front left bumper clearly bearing tell-tale damage that strongly indicated what had just occurred minutes ago.
Four deputies stood directing traffic as we slowly and cautiously went through the intersection, the surreal scene capturing the attention of everyone who passed by on both sides of the street.
For the deputies and first responders, this was just another day. But, for us, it served as stark reminder of the dangers of the road. It had a profound impact on me as I thought it would only be a month before my son would actually be driving on the same route for the first time with his learner’s permit.
That evening at dinner, we discussed what we saw and my wife and I used it as a valuable teaching lesson. Shortly after, I came across a social media post resharing a headline reading, “Pedestrian Struck and Killed by Teen Driver.”
Many key details didn’t appear in the post. It only contained generalities. For instance, the victim was a man in his mid-fifties and the teen driver was suspected of being distracted at the moment of impact. But, nothing specific beyond that. However, it did provide enough information to confirm my suspicions – the pedestrian I saw cross the intersection earlier never made it back.
In the days and weeks that ensued, I searched for updates about the fatality. And, like so many in the area, these incidents are far too common for even local news organizations to follow up. After all, there wasn’t anything particularly sensational about the story, certainly not the kinds of intriguing and/or irresistible elements that would qualify it for the “If it bleeds, it leads” philosophy.
So, this unnamed individual was merely a statistic. He was the last of a long list of victims claimed in that very location. The incident led me to think every town has “that intersection.” The one that’s the most dangerous in the area. The crossroads people would prefer to avoid but must drive through. A block so notorious among the locals, it’s earned a foreboding nickname.
Now, every time I pass through that intersection, I remember what I’d seen. Today, it’s marked with a cross and a memorial sign urging safe driving. But, for the family members and friends left behind by its many victims, it will always infamously be “that intersection.”
