Sunday, August 22, 2010

Another Whalley Avenue Hit and Run Crash Leaves Pedestrian Dead

Reporting from the New Haven Independent:

Police are looking for a driver who hit a pedestrian early Sunday and fled the scene, leaving a 52-year-old man in critical condition. The collision took place at Sunday at the intersection of Whalley Avenue and Carmel Street, according to city spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga.

A patrol officer came across the scene at 1:44 a.m. and found the man lying in the street, unresponsive, she said. The victim was taken to the hospital to be treated for life-threatening injuries. The man was apparently hit by a car, whose driver fled, Mayorga said. The police accident reconstruction team is investigating. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the police at 203-946-6316.


Update 8/23: The victim died from his injuries soon after the crash.

Update 8/27: Police are seeking clues on the hit and run. The New Haven Register profiles the victim in a news piece and offers more details on the crash:

On Sunday, he was at the Scorpio Lounge on Norton Street. His friend gave the family this account: The pair was walking back to her home, stopped by a gas station for some snacks and were crossing Whalley Avenue. The woman made it across safely, but Chatman, who was a step behind, didn’t. She heard the impact, then saw the vehicle run over Chatman and flee the scene.

The crash is just one of several recent hit and run pedestrian injuries on Whalley Avenue, which has been rated one of the most dangerous roads in the State of Connecticut for crashes. Traffic speeds on the Avenue regularly exceed 50 miles per hour, despite the fact that the street passes through neighborhoods that have the population density of Brooklyn, New York.

Members of the community recently wrote an open public letter regarding a SCRCOG and city proposal to redesign this section of Whalley Avenue.

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