FLORENCE – A 40-year-old Florence man was killed Saturday night when he tried to cross U.S. Highway 101 a mile south of the city and was struck by an SUV, Oregon State Police said Sunday.
Police said Garrick Wall was wearing dark-colored clothes and walking south in the northbound shoulder of the highway when he attempted to cross an unlighted portion of the highway near South Loftus Road. He was struck by a southbound SUV driven by James Harpole, 58, of Cheshire.
The highway was impacted for approximately three hours during the investigation, police said.
An unlighted portion of the highway? Please do share what portion is lit. Where should he have crossed the road? What special clothes should he have been wearing to cross the road?
I see where you are going here but realize that being on the road, in the auto travel path in dark clothes after dark is always dangerous. I had a close call this week and the pedestrian had every advantage- I was paying attention, I don’t think I have night blindness, I was driving a modern car with modern headlights. Do not walk in front of cars.
Every time I read a story like this I ask myself, why did someone walk in front of a car before it has stopped? I learned as a child at Yachats Elementary that you wait until a car has stopped before you walk in front of it. One cannot assume that a driver sees you. Your life is at stake.
RIF