KIM BURTON-SCHRAM
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER
Luc Périard, the crossing guard at St. Finnan’s Catholic School in Alexandria, was injured while working. Luc was trying to avoid being hit by a vehicle that was heading towards him. In attempting to get out of the way, Luc fell over the curb and broke his leg.
The vehicle involved did stop, along with other drivers and passersby, to help get Luc to safety while awaiting the ambulance. Luc was taken to Glengarry Memorial Hospital for the first night, then transferred to Cornwall the next day, where he ended up having a pin put in his femur to hold it in place permanently. Friends say he is in good spirits while his leg mends and has been up, trying to walk. The OPP detachment in Alexandria confirmed the driver was not going to be charged.
With three elementary schools and two high schools right in town, three right on Main Street in Alexandria, this accident should serve as a wake-up call to all drivers to be extra diligent. Both St. Finnan’s and Terres des Jeunes are on opposite corners of Main St and Lochiel St, where there are many students crossing. With a crossing guard present, drivers are, by law, expected to stop and yield to the pedestrians until the entire roadway is cleared. Only where it is a normal intersection with lights are drivers permitted to move forward once the single lane is clear.
Further east on Lochiel St, students who attend Elda Rouleau and live south of Lochiel have to cross a very busy roadway, where speed limits and use of indicators seem to be optional. The intersections of Lochiel with either Bishop St or East Boundary jog awkwardly, making crossing at either challenging. In addition, should a pedestrian choose to cross Lochiel at East Boundary, there are no sidewalks, so walkers are on the road with east and westbound cars turning onto East Boundary.
While there are speed limit signs posted as drivers enter town and the school zone areas, the most effective deterrent seems to be an illuminated speed warning sign on Lochiel St. For those vehicles turning east from Main onto Lochiel, there are no stop signs nor illuminated speed warning signs to slow the traffic, and many drivers seem to think they are already on a county road with the speed limit at 80 km/h, driving well beyond the posted 50km/h while within town limits. Perhaps it’s time to consider a crosswalk with flashing lights on Lochiel St to allow pedestrians to cross safely.
L’article Alexandria’s crossing guard injured est apparu en premier sur Cornwall Seaway News.
