Call for pedestrian crossings at Cromer and Wheeler Heights after elderly woman hit by car
A terrible accident that left an elderly woman with critical head injuries has re-energised a campaign to have pedestrian crossings installed at Cromer and Wheeler Heights.
Manly
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A community campaign for pedestrian crossings on a “dangerous” section of a northern beaches road has been rekindled after an elderly woman was hit by a car.
The woman, 77, from Narrabeen, suffered head injuries when she was struck by a ute on South Creek Rd about 3.40pm on Monday, opposite the Wheeler Heights post office.
She was flung backwards by the impact into a parked car and is now in Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical, but stable, condition.
The driver of the Toyota ute, a 26-year-old man from Ingleside, told police he saw the woman walk off the footpath and swerved unsuccessfully to avoid her.
Two ambulances and the CareFlight rescue helicopter were sent to the scene to stabilise the woman before she was driven to hospital with a CareFlight trauma specialist in the ambulance.
Locals have been lobbying Northern Beaches Council for several years for a pedestrian crossing on a stretch of the road which includes the Wheeler Heights shopping centre and the MindChamps preschool as well as the playing fields and skate park at St Matthews Farm Reserve at Cromer.
Kaycee Hill, who works at the childcare centre, is circulating a petition on social media, calling on authorities to improve pedestrian safety in the area.
“The area in South Creek Rd and Fisher Rd North, has been a dangerous area for pedestrians and motorists for many years,” Ms Hill told locals in her petition post.
“With new developments continually being approved, the area is bustling with people, and yet no additional safety or traffic controls have ever been implemented as part of the redevelopments.”
Ms Hill also pointed out that students walking to Northern Beaches Secondary College’s Cromer Campus had nowhere to safely cross the road.
“We also need (a crossing) near the chemist and post office where this tragedy took place, and one down near Dee Why Gardens Retirement Village on Fisher Rd North,”she said.
The residents of Cromer deserve to be safe. The accident that occurred … is one too many.”
Last year the council told residents that it had investigated their but concerns but did not “propose any pedestrian crossing facilities at this stage”.
Residents were told via email that decisions regarding pedestrian crossings were made based on Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) guidelines and criteria around pedestrian numbers and traffic volumes.
“Hence, it considers that pedestrian crossings would actually make it less safe and not appropriate.”
Council CEO Ray Brownlee said on Tuesday it has been investigating and implementing parking improvements along South Creek Rd, Cromer and would continue to investigate options to better manage pedestrians in this area in line with RMS guidelines.
“We are also awaiting the outcome of a police investigation into the accident before proceeding with any proposal,” Mr Brownlee said.