Stiff Fines Levied—

Police Conduct Crosswalk Enforcement Project

By Andrew Gorosko

To remind motorists that state law requires drivers to yield to pedestrians who are standing in crosswalks while waiting to cross the street, town police recently conducted a crosswalk enforcement project in the center of town.

Police did heightened crosswalk enforcement at the Main Street flagpole crosswalks, the Queen Street crosswalk at Newtown Middle School, and the Church Hill Road crosswalk at Hawley School.

At the Queen Street and Church Hill Road locations, police Officer Matthew Hayes, who was working in plainclothes, wore a bright orange shirt to make his presence obvious to motorists.

When a driver would blatantly violate the state law requiring that motorists yield to pedestrians who are standing in crosswalks and attempting to cross the street, Officer Hayes used a hand signal to alert members of the police department’s traffic enforcement unit of that violation.

Police motorcyclist Officer Stephen Ketchum on a marked Harley-Davidson and patrol Officer Jeffrey Silver in an unmarked Dodge police car watched Officer Hayes’ crosswalk use from a distance.

During the two days of crosswalk enforcement, police issued ten infraction tickets to motorists for violations. Each ticket carries a $181 fine. Such tickets are appealable in court.

Police said they want pedestrians crossing streets to use crosswalks because doing so is safer than not using them. Also, police urge that parents remind their children to use crosswalks.

Also, state law requires motorists to yield to pedestrians on sidewalks and to vehicles on sidewalks which those motorists intend to cross.