Efforts to lower pedestrian fatalities in Pontiac ‘made an impact,’ sheriff says

By Max Bryan, Medianews Group

The Sheriff of Oakland County claims success in an try and decrease deadly and severe collisions with pedestrians in Pontiac.

Sheriff Mike Bouchard On 5 September, a patrol ordered a rise in “hotspots” for this type of collisions in Pontiac. His order was a response to a sequence of seven hit-and-run crashes that brought on severe damage or loss of life within the metropolis this 12 months.

Within the following two weeks, the representatives of Sheriff 78 issued warnings to individuals crossing streets in designated non-crossing zones and have issued 116 quotes for violations, together with rushing offenses and texting whereas driving. The Sheriff Crash Reconstruction Unit had no cellphone calls in Pontiac at the moment, in accordance with a press launch.

“Our visitors unit has executed glorious work to extend enforcement in areas with a number of pedestrian accidents,” Bouchard mentioned. “Their deal with each pedestrian and driver’s conduct clearly made an influence.”

The delegates of the Sheriff concentrated their efforts on the intersections of Huron and Saginaw -Streets, Baldwin Avenue and Montcalm Avenue, Walton Boulevard and Perry Avenue, in addition to Auburn Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Two deadly crashes on July 3 and August 5 had been hit-and-runs in blocks of one another on Baldwin Avenue, in accordance with the Sheriff workplace.

From the start of 2023 to 2 September this 12 months, Pontiac noticed 70 crashes with pedestrians, together with seven deadly and 19 with severe accidents, in accordance with a launch.

The efforts of the sheriff come when town works to extend the protection of pedestrians in response to the collisions. Metropolis officers confirmed in August that they’d arrange a 3 -way cease on the intersection of Baldwin Avenue and Virginia Avenue.

Mayor Tim Greimel mentioned that town additionally labored to make sure that avenue lamps work alongside Baldwin Avenue.