Greenburgh Police Chief Chris McNernery said this evening that a pedestrian was struck by a car and seriously injured at around 5:15 p.m. on East Hartsdale Avenue. News reports tonight said the victim was a 27-year old woman from the neighborhood who was struck while walking her dog in the crosswalk near 119 East Hartsdale Avenue.
UPDATE: News12 is reporting this morning that the woman remains hospitalized in serious condition, while the dog has died. Residents meanwhile continue to say that the woman was struck in the crosswalk at around the spot where the sign telling drivers to yield to pedestrians normally stands. Residents are also saying that the crosswalk stripes are faded, possibly making the crosswalk less visible to drivers. Media reports this morning say no charges will be brought against the driver.
The victim was taken to Westchester Medical Center and the dog was taken to a local vet. Her condition and that of the dog have not been made public, but police are still on the scene taking measurements and photographs more than four hours after the incident. The driver of the car is reportedly on the scene and cooperating with police.
The accident, which highlights how seriously pedestrians may be injured when struck by a moving vehicle, comes on the same day that Town Supervisor Paul Feiner effectively killed the police chief’s two-month old recommendation that, for public safety reasons, sidewalks be installed in Edgemont on Seely Place, Ardsley Road and Fort Hill Road to protect pedestrians — mainly children walking to and from their respective elementary schools — from being struck by moving vehicles.
Edgemont parents and civic leaders had been urging the Town for years to construct sidewalks to protect children walking to and from school, but Mr. Feiner and other town officials have never been receptive to the idea.
At a work session this morning, Mr. Feiner told Chief McNerney that no matter how dangerous the police chief thinks conditions may be for children walking to and from schools in Edgemont, no sidewalks would be considered for Edgemont at all unless and until the police chief first conducts a comprehensive study of sidewalk needs in all ten of Greenburgh’s school districts, which could take years to complete. Mr. Feiner’s directive effectively killed the Edgemont sidewalk initiative — and dashed hopes that the Town would include funding for the sidewalks in its capital budget and apply for federal grants to help defray the cost.
Today’s accident, in the vicinity of 119 East Hartsdale Avenue, led to massive traffic congestion as police closed East Hartsdale Avenue in both directions from Columbia Avenue to Rockledge Road by the Rite Aid in Hartsdale Village.
Chief McNerney said detectives will keep the road closed for several hours while they complete an accident investigation. Commuters and residents are advised to avoid the area if possible. Motorists heading toward Hartsdale Village on West Hartsdale Avenue were being re-routed along Central Avenue, while those heading home from the Hartsdale Train Station were being routed in the opposite direction.
Area residents meanwhile are contacting friends and neighbors to complain that because of lax enforcement by the police, pedestrians are at risk of physical injury whenever they use the Town’s crosswalks. A few years ago, an Edgemont woman was struck by a car crossing East Hartsdale Avenue at Club Way and suffered a concussion. As a result of that incident, Greenburgh police recommended the construction of a raised walkway. Mr. Feiner opposed spending town money to erect the crossway, but town board members outvoted him and the raised walkway was built.
The walkway where the pedestrian tonight was struck is not raised.