[BIKE] Deadly Crossing - Route 38 at Cherry Hill Mall

[John Boyle]

A preventable death (and not the first) if NJDOT simply prioritized the replacement of a pedestrian bridge which has been out of service for 5 years.  One attendee of today’s NJ Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting noted that “if this bridge was a highway bridge it would have been repaired immediately.”   The death of a 13 year old seems to have pulled enough heart strings to get the department to take action, but is it the best alternative?    Remember 17% of all highway fatalities in our region are bicycle and pedestrian yet 0% of the federal safety funds are spent on bike and ped projects. Where are the priorities?   -------------------------------------   Route 38 divider to get fence Tuesday, June 29, 2004 Transportation Dept. takes action after teen's death By BILL DUHART and TOM LOUNSBERRY Courier-Post Staff CHERRY HILL The state Department of Transportation announced plans Monday to increase the height of a divider on Route 38 near the Cherry Hill Mall, days after a teenager trying to cross the road was struck and killed by a car.   Wayne Jackson, 13, of Pennsauken, was the second youth run down in as many months on the state highway, which separates the mall from a movie theater. A 15-year-old boy was seriously injured in a similar accident on May 7, township police said.   Meanwhile, Jackson's stepfather called on the state to replace a pedestrian bridge that once stood at the accident site. "We hope that this will spur the state to take action and replace that crossing," said Kevin Gillespie of Pennsauken. "It may not prevent all accidents, but people should have the option of that crossing. Kids being kids will often take the shortest route because they believe nothing is going to happen to them."   Also Monday, police said they now believe only one vehicle was involved in the latest accident. The driver, a 40-year-old Burlington County man, probably will not face charges, they said.   "The accident occurred in an area not designated for pedestrian crossings," said Detective Sgt. Joseph W. Vitarelli. "Our findings will be reviewed by the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, who will make the final determination about charges."   Authorities initially thought a second car fled the scene after striking the boy.   "There was some confusion," Vitarelli said. "Witnesses behind the accident scene reported another vehicle swerving. An autopsy on Jackson indicted that he died of injuries from being struck by only one vehicle."   The driver of that vehicle, Saul Freedman, 40, of Whitetail Court in Moorestown, was not injured.   A 4-foot fence will be placed atop an existing 3-foot concrete barrier along a one-mile stretch of Route 38 between Haddonfield and Church roads, said Department of Transportation Commissioner Jack Lettiere. The fence, to be completed by the end of July, should cost "a couple hundred thousand dollars," Lettiere said. He announced plans for the fence after speaking by phone with township officials.   Officials vowed to renew efforts to improve safety on the busy highway, including possible construction of a foot bridge. A span near the scene of both accidents was knocked down by a truck in 1999.   Other options include creating a pedestrian crossing at Chestnut Street near Church Road, and enhancing pedestrian crossings at Route 38 and Cherry Hill Mall Drive.   "We have to do everything we can do," Lettiere said. "We have to encourage people to walk to the crossings. We have to use signs and display boards to encourage them to use the crossings. We're going to pull out any stops to get the job done."   Mayor Bernie Platt and Police Chief Brian Malloy have urged the state to replace the pedestrian bridge and to improve safety along Route 38 near the mall.   "(Lettiere) was very upset about this incident," Platt said. "I think this will move everything along."   Wayne Jackson, who lived in the 4100 block of Carmen Street, Pennsauken, was struck around 9:30 p.m. on Friday after he hopped the 3-foot divider and entered the eastbound side of the six-lane highway. He died at the scene. Gillespie said his son and a group of friends caught an NJ Transit bus near their homes and traveled to the mall.   "They were going to the movies," he said, referring to the Loews' complex on the opposite side of Route 38. "They would do it a couple times a month." Gillespie said Wayne enjoyed basketball and football, and loved to explore the Internet. He said the boy recently graduated from eighth grade at the Burlington County Special Services School in Lumberton, and was looking forward to entering high school in the fall.   Besides his stepfather, Wayne is survived by his mother, Lettitia; two brothers, Anthony, 16, and Qaadir, 12; and a sister, Nakva Zyasia Gillespie, 7 months.   Reach Bill Duhart at (856) 486-2576 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thank you for visiting www.courierpostonline.com

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