A trash truck hit and killed a pedestrian early Tuesday morning on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Veronica Shoemaker Boulevard in Fort Myers.
Investigators say Bobby Lee Bush, 69, who they believe is a transient, was hit as he crossed the road about 3:30 a.m. The trash truck was unable to see him because he was wearing dark clothing and it was raining, according to investigators. The driver will not be cited.
Last week, our blog was about another pedestrian killed while he was trying to cross the street. Sixty-year-old Joseph Dellifranci was hit by a motorcycle while he was crossing Cape Coral Parkway.
Lee County is one of the deadliest counties in the state for pedestrians, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
A couple of weeks ago, county, traffic and law enforcement officials got together to discuss safety for pedestrians and cyclists. They are identifying the most dangerous areas in the county to try to target areas for traffic enforcement, according to nbc-2.com.
Everyone is responsible to make sure the roadways are safe. Pedestrians need to cross in the crosswalk, look both ways for oncoming cars, wear light clothing and carry a light when walking in the dark, walk in the opposite direction as traffic, walk as far away from traffic as possible and watch for vehicles.
Drivers need to make sure they are paying attention while driving and not get distracted, watch for pedestrians crossing the road (not just at crosswalks), try to anticipate when someone may cross the road, obey traffic signals and posted speed limits, and pay extra attention when turning onto another street.
At Bernardo Injury Law, we have experience working with crashes involving pedestrians. We understand the difficulties injured victims and family members face. We may be able to help you. Contact us at (239) 332-3000 or toll free at 888-428-8943, email us at gethelp@injuryinfo.org or visit our website at injuryinfo.org.