RED BANK — Vehicles struck two cyclists in the borough in two separate incidents on the same day last week. And that along with this week’s two pedestrian fatalities in Monmouth County has a safety advocate continuing to seek improvements to state roadways.
In addition to last Thursday’s two separate collisions in the borough, a 19-year-old man who was struck by a car last Friday on state Route 9, Freehold Township, died on Tuesday from his injuries. In Wall on Tuesday, a 42-year-old woman was struck and killed by a vehicle while she attempted to cross Route 34. Authorities determined the driver had a green light at the time of the collision.
In the Freehold incident, the investigation is continuing, according to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office. In the borough, at approximately 7:33 a.m., on Aug. 13, 39-year-old Salatiel Perez-Perez, a borough resident, was riding his bicycle westbound in the northern crosswalk at the East Bergen Place and Hudson Avenue intersection, when he was hit by a vehicle, according to Police Chief Darren McConnell.
The driver of the vehicle, Charles Johnson, Red Bank,“just never saw him because of the sun glare,” McConnell said, noting, “It was a very bright, sunny morning.”
Perez refused medical attention at the scene.
As of Wednesday no summons had been issued, McConnell said.
At approximately 1 p.m. that day, Marikate Neisz, a borough resident, collided his 2011 Acura with a 14-year-old borough male who was riding his bicycle westbound in the eastbound lane on Harding Road, on the steep incline at the Tower Hill Avenue intersection, McConnell said.
The cyclist suffered a left leg injury and was transported by ambulance to Riverview Medical Center for treatment.
Police determined the 14-year-old cyclist, traveling on the wrong side of the road, was at fault, but officers did not issue any summons, McConnell said.
Cyndi Steiner, executive director of the New Jersey Bike and Walk Coalition, a pedestrian and cycling advocacy group, said New Jersey continues to be particularly dangerous for those walking or riding bikes on the roadways.
According to state statistics for 2014, 32 percent of those killed on the roads were cyclists or pedestrians.
“Our numbers for 2014 don’t reflect anything getting better,” Steiner said. While the state percentage is 32, nationally that number is 14 percent, Steiner noted.
“So, we’re way behind that.”
The NJ State Police figures for 2014 indicated there were 563 deaths on state roadways, of which 169 were outside the car 13 of which were riding bicycles.
This is a marked increase over 2013’s record low of 542 since data collection began in the 1940s, according to state police statistics.
These numbers have led the Federal Highway Administration to label New Jersey as a pedestrian-focus state. “That means they’re spotlighting us, saying you need to do something about this,” Steiner said.
Much of the problem rests with lack of education and needed infrastructure upgrades to improve pedestrian safety, Steiner maintained.
“The issue is our roads are not designed to accommodate pedestrians and bike riders,” she said. Roads were designed to move people in vehicles at high speeds so people aren’t inconvenienced by traffic delays.
“What we’re talking about is inconvenience versus people’s lives,” she said.
By John Burton
