After Pedestrian-Car Collisions, Mercer Island Police Will Increase Crosswalk Patrols

MERCER ISLAND, WA - After a handful of recent car-versus-pedestrian incidents on the island, police have announced they will work crosswalk enforcement duty beginning this week in problem areas.

Earlier this week, the department reported three different collisions between cars and people. In one incident, two children were thrown from a stroller after being struck. In another incident, an elderly couple were hit, and the woman was sent to the hospital with serious injuries.

Police will conduct crosswalk training downtown and in the south end near the intersection of Southeast 68th Street and Island Crest Way. There are a few minimum rules for drivers when dealing with crosswalks - like that you shouldn't cross into an intersection if a pedestrian is within one lane of the lane you're in. You can view the three minimum rules for drivers on the Washington Traffic Safety Commission website.

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