Police: Pedestrians At Fault in Many Stamford Car Strikes

Pedestrians may be the cause of most car-pedestrian collisions in Stamford, according to the .

SPD's Sgt. Andrew Gallagher stated that he'd assisted in five pedestrian-car collisions within the last week alone. "Out of all of these incidents, the pedestrian was at fault," Gallagher said.

One occurred last Tuesday at Washington Blvd. and Main Street. The driver will not face criminal charges, and the pedestrian was treated for non-critical injuries at .

Gallagher described a second pedestrian-car collision that occurred last week, in which the pedestrian was struck while texting.

"At many pedestrian controlled crosswalks, people are just impatient," Gallagher said.

"Dozens" of pedestrian-car strikes happen every year in Stamford, according to Gallagher, who stated that most pedestrian-car accidents during 2011 were due to a pedestrian disregarding crossing signs.

"I think we're no different from any large city, with such a vibrant downtown," Gallagher said, comparing the traffic issues of Stamford to other cities. "The downtown is very busy at night."

Though not the fault of the pedestrian, 2011's worst car-pedestrian collision may be a Sept. hit-and-run which left 46-year-old in critical condition. While a $500 reward was offered for the driver in the incident, no arrests have been made.

According to Gallagher, preventing pedestrian accidents, especially at crosswalks, is simple. "People just need to be patient, and push the button," Gallagher said.