Dashcam Video Highlights Dangers To Pedestrians: Police

It has been a terrible toll, and one that seemingly continues to rise on a weekly basis: pedestrians killed in Ocean County, hit by cars along so many busy streets.

As of Jan. 10, there have been 11 fatal accidents involving pedestrians or bicyclists in Ocean County, beginning with the Sept. 23 accident on Whittier Avenue that killed Joseph Bartolotta as he set out to walk his dog that night. The most recent death happened Jan. 3, when Peggy Acquisto of Whiting was hit while crossing Route 70 in Lakehurst.

The incidents have not been confined to one area or one town. They have happened mostly at night, and the victims have been young and old, male and female, They have been parents, grandparents, neighbors and friends.

The scary part? The death toll could have been far, far worse. Spurred by the stream of reports, a pizza delivery driver named Paul Butow put together a compilation of video clips from the dashcam of his delivery car. The clips are taken from a variety of dates throughout the year as Butow made deliveries in Toms River and Seaside Heights.

The video, about 8 minutes long, shows 34 separate instances where pedestrians or bicyclists are in harm's way. Several of the clips include some very frightening near-misses.

The Toms River Police Department shared Butow's video on Facebook.

"With all of the recent pedestrians being struck by vehicles in Ocean County please take a few minutes to watch this video," police spokesman Ralph Stocco said in the post. "It shows just how hard it is to see pedestrians as well as many of the unsafe actions by people who are putting their lives in danger. Please think twice BEFORE you walk in the roadway. Do not assume drivers can see you."

In many of the cases the streets where people are crossing or walking along are not well-lit. A couple of times Butow's headlights pick up the movement at the last second. In other cases people are in the crosswalk as the traffic signal for vehicles changes to green.

Butow's video closes with police investigating at the scene of the Nov. 5 accident that killed Manuela Morales-Torres, 60, of Walnut Street.

The 10 fatalities from Sept. 23 to Dec. 31 in Ocean County are more than the total pedestrian/bicyclist fatalities that happened in all of 2017 in eight New Jersey counties; five other counties had 10 total for 2017. Essex County (22 pedestrians, 1 bicyclist), Hudson (15 pedestrians, 4 bicyclists), Camden (15 pedestrians, 1 bicyclist) and Union (14 pedestrians) all had more deaths total for the year, according to preliminary information on the New Jersey State Police website. Monmouth County (13/1), Middlesex (13/4) and Burlington (12/0) also had more pedestrian deaths for the year, according to the website.

Ocean County had 13 total pedestrian deaths and four bicyclists killed in 2017, according to those records.

Al Della Fave of the Ocean County prosecutor's office has addressed the issue repeatedly, urging pedestrians to take extra measures to ensure their safety.

"You have to give the drivers a chance to see you and a chance to stop before you step off the curb," Della Fave has said. Just because you have the signal to cross, "don't assume that because you're a pedestrian that people will yield immediately."

If you're a driver, take extra care at night. As Butow's video shows, even in the best lighting it can be easy to not see someone walking along the side of the road or crossing. Slow down. Obey the speed limit. And don't text and drive.

Here are those who lost their lives from Sept. 23 through Jan. 3:

• On Sept. 23, James Bartolatta, 81, of Toms River, hit when he stepped into the road on Whittier Avenue near his home.
• On Oct. 9, Ralph Zarro, 61, of Lakewood, hit as he rode his bicycle across Route 70 in Lakewood near Buckingham Drive.
• On Nov. 5, Manuela Morales-Torres, 60, of Toms River, hit while crossing Hooper Avenue near Terrace Avenue. Her 62-year-old male companion survived and was hospitalized, police said.
• On Nov. 17, Antonia Rinaldi, 80, of Toms River, was hit while crossing New Hampshire Avenue. She died later at the hospital, police said.
• On Dec. 5, Irene D. Perosi, 53, of Lakewood, hit while crossing Shorrock Street in Lakewood.
• On Dec. 12, Richard Bococinski, 37, of Toms River, hit on Fischer Boulevard while picking up trash in front of his home.
• On Dec. 15, Bruce Nussenbaum, 62, of Seaside Heights, while walking along Route 37 in Toms River.
• On Dec. 24, Michael Cappello, 41, of Lakewood, hit while walking on Route 88 near Old Squan Road in Brick.
• On Christmas, Roger A. Conover, 45, of Lakewood, hit while crossing Cedar Bridge Avenue in Lakewood.
• On Dec. 29, James Icklan, 73, of Manchester, while crossing Water Street in Toms River.
• On Jan. 3, Peggy Acquisto, 42, of Whiting, hit while crossing Route 70 in Lakehurst with a companion.

Photo: screengrab from Paul Butow's video