Pedestrian safety highlighted after deadly September

After one of the deadliest months on record for pedestrians in the valley, law enforcement, elected officials and traffic safety advocates are begging Southern Nevada drivers to slow down and pay attention.

Eleven pedestrians died in September after being struck by vehicles on local roadways. Erin Breen, director of the Road Equity Alliance Project, said it’s the highest number of pedestrian deaths she has seen in any month of her more than 27 years as a traffic safety advocate in Southern Nevada.

“It may take you an extra 30 seconds, but it’s that person’s safety,” Breen said during a news conference Monday at Betty’s Village to raise awareness for pedestrian safety, especially for those with disabilities.

Statewide, 73 pedestrians have been killed through the first nine months of the year, according to the Nevada Department of Public Safety.

Just hours before Monday’s planned news conference on pedestrian safety, another pedestrian was hospitalized in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle near Mount Moriah Drive and West Lake Mead Boulevard in the central valley.

Clark County School District police Capt. Bob Mayer said nearly 20 children have been hit by vehicles at or near district campuses since the school year started in early August.

The most recent occurrence was Friday, when a 5-year-old was hit and killed after being dropped off for school at Somerset Academy in North Las Vegas. The driver who hit the boy was arrested on charges that include involuntary manslaughter.

“We’ve had too many kids hit,” Mayer said.

Driver and pedestrian inattentiveness are the main cause behind those crashes, Mayer said, and he urged drivers to pay attention at all times while behind the wheel, and especially when near schools. He also encouraged parents to talk to their children about how to be responsible as pedestrians.

“We need you to pay attention. Do your job driving,” Mayer said. “Be as safe as you can. Treat every child like they’re yours, every pedestrian like they’re your relative.”

Hal Goldblatt, a Las Vegas resident who spoke at the news conference, knows firsthand the dangers of walking along the valley’s roadways.

On the night of Nov. 25, the day after Thanksgiving, Goldblatt was walking home from a synagogue near Charleston Boulevard and Arville Street when he reached a crosswalk.

Goldblatt, 71, looked both ways. There were no cars in sight.

That’s the last thing Goldblatt remembers about that night. He woke up, 10 days later, in a hospital bed at University Medical Center. Both arms, both legs and his back were broken, and his skull was fractured. Police said he was struck by a vehicle as he was crossing the street.

The crash changed Goldblatt’s life forever. Walking has become extremely difficult, and he wakes up each morning in intense pain.

But he hopes to use his experience and his voice to advocate for changes that will make life safer for those walking along the valley’s sidewalks and roadways.

“We have to make a stand and put a stop to this. We have to save lives,” Goldblatt said. “Please slow down. There’s no need to hurry on our streets. If you see someone standing at a crosswalk, stop for them. Let them cross safely.”

Contact Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com.