'Need folks to slow down': Safety of Hains Point questioned after 2 pedestrians killed
At the location of the incident where 2 elderly people were hit and killed, there are no sidewalks. Joggers, walkers, and cyclists share the road with drivers. Some people are now calling for Hains Point to be closed to vehicles so this doesn’t happen again. (7News)
WASHINGTON (7News) — Sunglasses and a walking stick were what remained on Ohio Drive at Hains point moments after a driver of a pickup truck hit an elderly man and woman Saturday morning around 10:30 a.m.
Investigators are still looking into what led up to this incident. U.S. Park Police tell 7News that the driver of the pickup truck drove away from the collision and the driver is now cooperating with investigators.
“It’s a very sad situation,” one man told 7News as he was walking on Hains Point at the location of the incident.
At the location of the incident, there are no sidewalks. Joggers, walkers, and cyclists share the road with drivers. Some people are now calling for Hains Point to be closed to vehicles so this doesn’t happen again.
RELATED: Pickup truck hits, kills 2 elderly people near Hains Point, US Park Police say
“If you closed it to cars on the weekend that would be a good idea,” one man told 7News. “It would be a great idea.”
Rudi Riet was riding his bike on Hains Point on Saturday. He said he’s shocked, but not surprised at what happened Saturday morning.
“Right now, it’s kind of a free for all. And that really creates situations that lead to tragedies like we had yesterday,” he said. “The speed limit here is 25. It’s 15 at the point and you see cars passing by like the one that just went past me, [the driver] was probably going 30. And that’s commonplace.”
Traffic safety experts say risky driving behaviors are on the rise.
RELATED: 'He was only 29': DC cycling enthusiast struck by a car, killed while biking in NW
“We really need folks to slow down,” said Jonathan Adkins, the Executive Director of the Governors Highway Safety Association. “Speeding is a huge, huge issue. If you’re driving down a neighborhood and you hit someone and you’re driving 25 [mph], that person is probably going to be ok. But if you are at 40 [mph], that person probably isn’t going to survive, and if they do, they are going to be seriously hurt.”
Whether it’s at a park like Hains Point on a Saturday morning or a busy intersection like Massachusetts Avenue Northwest and Second Street Northwest where one DC cyclist recently died on his way to get dinner, safety experts warn traffic accidents can happen anywhere at any time.
“The trend lines for traffic safety is unfortunately not very good right now,” said Adkins.
