Posted on Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 8:14 a.m.
Vehicle hits pedestrian in Ann Arbor
By Cindy Heflin
8:45 a.m. update: Ann Arbor police said the accident scene had been cleared but did not provide any information about the crash or any injuries that might have occurred.
A vehicle hit a pedestrian at Jackson and Wagner roads on the west side of Ann Arbor this morning, a dispatcher with the Washtenaw County sheriff’s department said.
Ann Arbor police and firefighters have responded to the accident, which occurred about 7:30 a.m. It was not clear whether anyone was injured.
The dispatcher did not know if the intersection had been closed down, but a Google traffic map showed a significant backup near the intersection about 8 a.m.
Come back to AnnArbor.com for updates on this story.
Traffic backups are shown in yellow and red.
Comments
David Frye
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 8:51 p.m.
Correction, please: this intersection is not "in Ann Arbor." Please check your city boundary maps.
AACanoe
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 4 p.m.
Fair enough Jim. There were several commenters that referred to the people who camp under the Wagner bidge next to where I-94 and M-14 merge. In addition, many more people I know have expressed concern and curiosity about the situation. Cl;early there is a desire for information. Among the many consequences of their encampment is the danger related to nighttime traffic along this stretch. My apoligies if I have missed an investigation by AnnArbor.com about this matter, but I just don't recall reading anything. Since you indicate that AnnArbor.com is not lacking for resources, is there any chance we can get an investigative story about this sub-community?
bunnyabbot
Sat, Nov 5, 2011 : 2:41 p.m.
@jim. I have stopped behind cabs dropping off people/bags that are going to the camp. The cabs stopped ON the bridge. I have also seen cars doing the same thing, stopping on the bridge to pick up or drop off people/items from the campsite. People going to and from the campsite walk on both sides of the road and cross in the middle of the road. As they have to walk on the shoulder to get to and fro it would make more sense if they crossed using the crosswalk at the intersection and only walked on the southbound shoulder. As for the bus stop, as I know it is there I know to take the turn onto the road slowly. The bus stop is used frequently, several times a day there are over 5 people standing on the shoulder, there is so much overgrowth there that people tend to stand as far back into the tree line as they can when there is rain etc. But it seems to me they can trim all that down to make it safer for visibility. In the winter the people are forced to stand closer to traffic. I think a neighbor must shovel the snow for them and a couple years ago someone left a shovel at the stop for riders to use. Lately though, I am more conserned about the campers walking in dark clothing in the dark. I hate it when they are pushing shopping carts (from Kroger).
perfectly lubricated weather vane
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 4:15 p.m.
Homeless camp near I-94 settles into neighborhood west of Ann Arbor Posted: Sun, Jul 10, 2011 : 5:59 a.m <a href="http://annarbor.com/news/scio-township-residents-concerned-vandalism-is-connected-to-area-homeless-population/">http://annarbor.com/news/scio-township-residents-concerned-vandalism-is-connected-to-area-homeless-population/</a>
Jim Knight
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 4:04 p.m.
AACanoe: Good suggestion. Your comment just sparked a conversation in the newsroom, and we'll check it out.
AACanoe
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 2:51 p.m.
I drove past the scene shortly after the incident occurred. It did not happen on the Wagner bridge. The person was lying face down in the Jackson Rd./Wagner Rd. intersection, on Wagner Road between the SW and WE corners. Several people were attending to the victim as I passed by (just so I'm not accused of being heartless). Not sure of the circumstances, but it does relate to my next point. It is really sad how little investigative quality we get from AA.com. This site isn't much more than an aggregator of information from other sources....and some sites, intended for that purpose, do a better job. I used to think the Ann Arbor News was subpar but they seem like Purlitzer Prize winners by comparison. A final point related to the camp under the Wagner bridge: I agree with some of the comments. It really has become a dangerous situation along that stretch at night. Many times I have driven past someone in dark clothing, either exiting or entering the area, and only saw them at the last moment. Does anyone have insight as to why nothing is done about this encampment?
Jim Knight
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 3:45 p.m.
AACanoe: It's not about thin resources. We'll continue to update this report as we get accurate information. Our first posts on accidents of this nature often don't have a lot of information, but we want to get the news out and let readers know that something happened. As we gather information, we'll update the file. That's the case here.
AACanoe
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 3:29 p.m.
Jim: I appreciate you defending the organization for which you work. I even understand your passion, which can lead to sarcasm: "...we don't have reporters on every street..." Of course, I didn't say that and, of course, no news organization does. It doesn't mean that reporters can't can show some persitance in providing more in-depth reporting and analysis. My presumption (and I draw only from observation, not inside information) is that Ann Arbor. com has thin resources which does not allow it to more effectively fill the news void that exists in Ann Arbor. My lament is not personal against you or your staff. I only wish we had a more robust news source.
Jim Knight
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 3:05 p.m.
AACanoe: You're right that we don't have reporters on every street corner able to report on accidents as they happen. Like any news organization, we rely on officials and others who may have been on the scene. We'll update this story as we get more information.
AACanoe
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 2:55 p.m.
I mean between the SW and SE corners.
iceman
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 2:29 p.m.
I work on Jackson rd. Traffic is very heavy at times, and hardly anyone drives the speed limit. AATA goes to Chelsea and Dexter. But doesn't stop on Jackson rd except in front of Varsity Ford. People walk from Scio Farms, Meijers area, Parkland etc, to catch the bus. You could cut pedestrian down, with a few more bus stops. Maybee ATTA doesn't need the money. Maybee they can't afford extra stops. I don't know. But a few bus stops would cut bicycle and pedestrian traffic on the Jackson rd Speedway!
Laurie Burg
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 6:25 p.m.
AATA doesn't go to Chelsea or Dexter ... you have to catch the WAVE bus at Jackson and Wagner from AATA. And using the WAVE in conjunction with AATA to travel around really is inconvenient. Already taking the AATA can add an hour to your commute, and you have to pray that you can make your downtown connection--my experience has been that that is virtually impossible. Then, if you want to add on taking the WAVE to your AATA commute, you can add another 30-45 minutes. I feel for the people who are limited to the bus service as their only means of transportation.
Bob Krzewinski
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 2:48 p.m.
So with Michigan having one of the highest obesity rates in the country, we need to encourage people to walk and bike less because they might get hit by drivers who probably are not paying attention to driving a lethal vehicle????
jcj
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 2:36 p.m.
I had not thought about it but at least one more stop closer to Scio farms would make sense.
say it plain
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 2:20 p.m.
I agree about the foot traffic in that *very* pedestrian unfriendly part of town! No crosswalk will help there, so nevermind to the idea as relevant... This is just a region of town that apparently needs more actual pedestrian infrastructure first, which is weird in a way, even if we don't want to formally acknowledge it. I hardly ever drive there but a high proportion of the time I have seems to have included a pedestrian, and it's just too dangerous a stretch to be one. Tolerances are too tight; it would take less than a fully distracted driver to swerve enough or miss seeing someone in the darkness there to cause a horrible accident.
pegret
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 1:50 p.m.
Like bunnyabbot said, this situation may be unrelated, but I have to agree about the number of people walking in the dark along Wagner Road near Jackson. I drive that stretch every morning, and have to be extremely careful to watch out for deer and pedestrians, both of which are very difficult to see in the dark. The pedestrian traffic on Wagner between Jackson & Dexter seems to be increasing, with the Camp down below the bridge, the bus stop on the west side of Wagner near Dexter, and the cars/trucks that are frequently parked along the east side of Wagner at Dexter. I imagine once the snow starts piling up, this stretch could become even more dangerous. I'm not sure what the solution is...maybe better lighting would help? But I do feel that this is a tragedy waiting to happen. I hope the victim in this morning's accident will be ok.
Wolf's Bane
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 12:55 p.m.
I wouldn't want to be caught dead walking around there. Oh, my god. How sad.
Marilyn Wilkie
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 12:51 p.m.
Hard to divine what happened without information. I do know that it would have been pretty dark at that time of the morning.
bunnyabbot
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 12:48 p.m.
Not saying this is the likely scenario, but I drive this stretch often, as the article doesn't state where it happened in my expierience in the general area of the intersection the BRIDGE is where I see a lot of pedesdrians. As there is no sidewalk people tend to walk on the shoulder of the road. Sometimes two side by side. Some poeple coming and going from the bushes by climbing over the railing (camp site). I see this a lot. People wearing dark clothing walking at dusk or after dusk in pitch black wearing black. Hate it even more when they cross in the middle of the road in the dark.
cathy
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 12:38 p.m.
"Something happened somewhere". Thanks, AnnArbor.com
Barb
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 2:19 p.m.
OK, good point Cathy. That's a much more productive comment than your original one.
cathy
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 1:53 p.m.
Barb- An alert saying 'Traffic situation at Jackson and Wagner. Avoid the area if possible. Details to follow.' would have sounded better.
Barb
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 1:08 p.m.
Well at least it was enough to help those of us who drive that way avoid the area. Sometimes, something is better than nothing.
golfer
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 12:38 p.m.
well do not know what happend but willing to bet it has to do with cell phones. unless you ban cell phones and give out tickets on those. you will never control people being safe when crossing a street. crosswalk or not. cell phones are a big problem even before crosswalks. some people can not drive and talk. i have seen them slow down to 15 miles an hour.
Barb
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 1:07 p.m.
OMG, seriously? Let's just speculate with no real information, shall we? Btw, you can give out tickets now for distracted driving. Making new laws is hardly the answer if they're not able to be enforced.
Enso
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 12:42 p.m.
And some people can't talk and walk.