MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Three traffic accidents since Feb. 1 in Morgantown involving cars and pedestrians, including one fatal, has put law enforcement on high alert.
“It’s awareness,” said Chief of Police Ed Preston. “Has to be the number one priority — everyone has to be aware of their surroundings. Drivers have to be aware of the pedestrians. Pedestrians have to be aware of the drivers.”
In the fatal accident that claimed the life of 21-year-old Leah Berhanu, a WVU student and Monongalia County native, the Prosecutor’s Office filed one charge against Michelle Gelada, 20, of New York, for negligent homicide.
Investigators determined that Berhanu was walking in the crosswalk at the intersection of Patteson Drive and Morrill Way when she was hit by Gelada’s SUV.
“The driver still has to yield to the pedestrian in the crosswalk,” Preston said.
He said, to be safe, pedestrians should be aware of the possibility of a driver error.
“The pedestrians need to be aware of their surroundings so that they can get out of the way should a car turn into that crosswalk before them as well,” he said.
Preston said on a college campus filled with pedestrians — often WVU students — it is vital that everybody is on their toes, rather than their phones.
“Typically, there is an error on the part of either the pedestrian or the driver or both,” he said. “Awareness to the surroundings would probably prevent any of these from happening.”
He didn’t comment on if that played a factor in the accident, but did say he had been involved with past auto-pedestrian accidents where distracting phones had been a factor.
“The families’ lost a loved one, another person is now arrested for the incident itself, and her family is just as devastated involved in that,” Preston said.
Sarah Queen, 20, a WVU student and Weston native, remains hospitalized following an accident on Feb. 20. She was hit that Tuesday morning on Mon Boulevard by a man driving a Ford F-250.
“The other case is ongoing due to the fact that the victim in that case is in the hospital, and we are still conferring with the Prosecutor’s Office regarding charging in that incident itself.”
A third accident, less serious than the first two, occurred just before the Feb. 26 West Virginia-Texas Tech men’s basketball game.
Two of the accidents occurred at night. Preston said night-time pedestrian safety includes:
- Walking facing traffic to see the vehicles; and so the vehicles can see you
- Wearing light colored clothing at night
- Don’t become too engaged in a cell phone