By Blake Hollingsworth | Staff Writer
Waco police officers responded to a “man down” call in Waco on Feb. 24, where they found 45-year-old Daniel Mansen deceased. Investigators later determined he was struck in a crash that had gone unreported, and the driver fled without rendering aid.
As special crimes detectives work to identify the suspect, the tragedy spotlights ongoing safety risks for pedestrians in Waco. In the past decade, about 800 hit-and-run crashes have occurred in Waco each year, according to Jay Crossley, executive director of Farm&City, a nonprofit organization focused on improving the quality of living in Texas.
To prevent tragedies similar to this one, Farm&City leads Vision Zero Texas, an initiative dedicated to protecting both drivers and pedestrians in Texas. This includes working with local and regional governments and the Texas Department of Transportation to adopt policies which reduce the number of people hurt and killed in traffic crashes across Texas, Crossley said.
“We have designed Texas streets and roads to be extraordinarily dangerous, and the results are terrible,” Crossley said. “We have much higher rates of traffic deaths than other places. Essentially, elected officials have promised that they’re going to make it easier for you to drive faster, and that has been a deadly promise. We instead should switch to a new promise of ‘We’re going to make it safe for you to get where you want to go.’”
Furthermore, Crossley said Waco should invest a portion of transportation spending on walkability, including pedestrian infrastructure like sidewalks, crosswalks and ramps that meet the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Additionally, Crossley said that Texas should emphasize roundabout usage, calling it “way safer” than traditional red lights.
“In Texas, you’re not really used to that,” Crossley said. “It’s going to be weird the first several times. However, it’s better to feel weird and drive slowly than to get in a crash at a red light.”
Waco pedestrians can help protect themselves by following safety tips from Lookout Texans, a campaign led by North Central Texas Council of Governments, according to Senior Program Manager Karla Windsor.
“Making sure you’re wearing bright colors in the dark … The response rate of a motorist is dramatically increased if someone wears yellow or white,” Windsor said. “I always tell people if you’re crossing the street and cars are coming, you need to make eye contact with that driver. Don’t assume that they see you.”
