The Place Where Ludington Talks

Accident

I was driving thru downtown last evening and saw someone lying an a side street just off Ludington ave.. an apparent victim of a run in with a motor vehicle. The police were on the scene but no ambulance. Does anyone have any information regarding this incident?

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Permalink Reply by XLFD on October 27, 2011 at 1:12am

It wasn't me protecting one of my signs. Anybody know about this? I'm always interested in pedestrian, bicycle, and motorcycle accidents in the area.

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Permalink Reply by XLFD on October 28, 2011 at 10:48am

I think it finally made the LDN. In Thursday's paper p. 3, it says:

"...James Comstock, 68, of Ludington, was crossing South Harrison Street at Ludington Avenue in the crosswalk about 5:40 p.m. when he was struck by a vehicle driven by Doris Titsworth, 81, of Custer. Police say Titsworth was attempting a left turn from Ludington Avenue onto south Harrison and told them she did not see Comstock because of the bright sun. She was not cited for the accident."

Yes, you got that right. The same Ludington Police who ticket a bicyclist for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign (that is unlawfully erected and without a traffic control order) before going through a clear intersection, do not ticket a motorist who fails to yield to a pedestrian who was in the crosswalk and causes a serious injury.

It also reminds me of the elderly pedestrian hit on James Street last year by the rear-view mirror of a passing vehicle whose driver wasn't cited by the LPD. Perhaps the LPD should have a little extra training on the rights of pedestrians, and the responsibilities of drivers.

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Permalink Reply by Willy on October 29, 2011 at 9:30am

Thanks for the update. I didn't see that in the paper. If you had been an 81 year old grandma I bet you would not have gotten that ticket.

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Permalink Reply by Willy on October 30, 2011 at 12:07pm

After thinking this over it appears that the police officers made a mistake by not issuing this woman a ticket. The accident was caused by negligence. If the sun was in her eyes she should not have proceeded as usual. She should have turn slowly while making every effort to block the sun anyway she could. It's now going to be difficult for the injured pedestrian to collect any expenses that might be incurred by this collision. Someone needs to talk to these officers and let them know that even elderly grandmas are subject to the same laws as everyone else.

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Permalink Reply by XLFD on October 30, 2011 at 8:22pm

Willy, I cordially invite you to join the group I created a couple of years ago to try to change the mindsets of people, in particular, the press and the police, in the way incidents that affect vulnerable users of the road, like these are treated. BUMPS, Bicyclists United w/Motorcyclists, Pedestrians for Safety.

It is incredible how often motorists get away with saying "I never saw that motorcyclist." when they change lanes or pull out in front of one at an intersection. It is remarkable how often they can run into that kid or old lady that was already in the crosswalk, and get away with blaming the sunlight, the darkness, or the conditions and not even get ticketed. It is ridiculous how often they can blame a sudden swerve by a bicyclist as the cause of why they slammed into them at full speed.

Too often, the victim cannot speak for themself, and the motorist is given a pass by the cops and passed on to the media. The bias is very easy to find, kind of like at MSNBC. Here is just three briefs on each type of bias:

Bicycle: http://www.michiganautolaw.com/auto-lawyers-blog/2011/08/29/anti-bi...

Motorcycle: http://beltronicsradar.com/niche/?learning-to-make-a-winning-motorc...

Pedestrian: http://pview.findlaw.com/pedestrian-accident-lawyer/ca/san-diego/ND...

I'm a motorist, so I'm not a devoted anti-motorist, just someone who wants motorists to drive responsibly, be alert, and share the road.

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Permalink Reply by AQUAMAN on October 31, 2011 at 10:52am

Well, I just have to agree with you guys too on this one. Sadly, as we get older, esp. at the age of this motorist, she may have disabilities that should be addressed by the Secretary of State. Hitting a pedestrian is a pretty serious infraction, irregardless of sun or rain or snow. Drivers have the strict responsibility to react timely, and use extreme caution in this type of incident, no excuses. Sounds like the LPD muffed the ball again, esp. when it comes down to the victim paying for his own medical expenses if that is the case here.