BRADENTON BEACH – A 10-year-old West Virginia girl was fortunate to only have some scratches and bruises after being struck by a car crossing Gulf Drive North in the 1300 block on June 7 around 5:30 p.m.
The accident happened on the west side of Gulf Drive across the street from the Tortuga Resort. According to officers with the Bradenton Beach Police Department (BBPD), who quickly arrived on the scene, the juvenile was crossing the street where there was no marked crosswalk when she was struck by a Ford Mustang traveling south.
West Manatee Fire Rescue arrived on the scene quickly and assessed the girl, determining her injuries were not serious. Still, they transported her to HCA Florida Blake Hospital for further treatment, where she was later released.
Officers said she crossed the road in an area that did not have a dedicated crosswalk, meaning the vehicles on the road had the right of way. They said it’s important for people to know that unless there is a marked crosswalk, pedestrians must wait for traffic to clear before crossing according to Florida Statute 316.130 (10): “Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.”
A local resident witness said he sees dangerous pedestrian crossings regularly and worries there will eventually be a serious incident if people don’t pay closer attention to the rules of crossing the street on foot.
“I see it all the time, people in that area of Gulf Drive cross the street thinking traffic will stop,” Mark Platt said. “There is no marked crossing, and at night it is incredibly dark because of the lack of lighting because of turtle regulations. It’s dangerous, and I worry someone will be seriously hurt or worse; you just can’t see them a lot of the time.”
The driver of the vehicle that struck the juvenile stayed at the scene of the accident, and according to BBPD was cooperative and was not cited for any traffic offenses.
