Hey wheelchair-users, if this mangled powerchair doesn’t scare you into being more vigilant when traversing crosswalks (and roads in general), I don’t know what will. This particular wheelchair was pushed more than 150 ft. before the driver fled the scene.
The hit-and-run occurred in St. Petersburg, Florida. Shirley Ann Lavine, 55, was crossing a MARKED crosswalk when some douchebag in a “light-colored, midsize vehicle” hit her, throwing her out, breaking several of her bones in the process. She is currently in critical condition.
This hit-and-run marks the third time in two weeks (in the Bay-area) that someone using a wheelchair was hit by a car. Is this a growing problem? Or are the people who drive in the Bay-area just really bad drivers? It also makes you wonder if the roads down there aren’t very well lit (?). Hard to say.
Whatever the case, this seems to be a growing problem in our nation, not just Florida (one look at Google News can prove that). We have more and more people using/getting approved for wheelchairs, and there are more cars on the roads than ever before. Not a good pairing.
Personally, I’ve never been hit - or even nicked - by a car during my years of wheelchair-travels. But I do know a guy who uses a scooter who was hit by a SUV while on a curb, waiting for the light to change. The behemoth SUV went up on the curb during its turn and nicked his chair. He was fine and his scooter was only scratched, but he was affected for months.
There’s got to be a way for cars and wheelchairs to co-exist safely. Some companies like SEE & BE SAFE have invented wheelchair-reflectors, which definitely helps. Maybe they need to start teaching “Watching Out For Wheelchairs 101” in Driver’s Training classes? I think bicyclists have this very same problem.
In the meantime, stay on the sidewalks and be cautious (i.e., NEVER assume cars see you). If you do this, you’ll at least decrease your chances of dying a miserable death on a lame city street somewhere.
What else is good? I refuse to put a flag on my chair.
- Are You Modeling Good Driving Behavior for Your Teen Driver?
- Emergency Preparedness: Four Steps
- Are Left Foot Accelerators Dangerous?
