Reporter Asks “What Crosswalk?”

When a pedestrian is hit by a car, you’ll often hear or read “the pedestrian was not in a crosswalk.” Period. Television and newspaper reporters love that phrase: “The pedestrian was not in a crosswalk.” It leaves you thinking the pedestrian was an idiot. Rarely does the reporter ask “What crosswalk?”

That’s why we’re so pleased with today’s article by AJC reporter Ralph Ellis (Hit-run suspect faced similar charges in 1997). Ralph’s article on this deadly pedestrian crash identifies the location of the incident, but then includes this: “There’s no traffic signal or crosswalk at that spot. The nearest crosswalk is half a mile in either direction.”

Fact is, many roads in metro Atlanta lack crosswalks over huge distances.  Bus riders and local residents have to take their chances crossing 5 to 7 lanes of heavy traffic on a daily basis.  So the next time you see a reporter say a pedestrian was not in a crosswalk when hit, ask yourself “What crosswalk?”  Excellent work, Ralph Ellis!