I've had some close calls myself. Mostly crossing Marin at 8th street where the cars zoom by there so fast and so close to the curb. You really have to pay attention here.

The other place and just as dangerous is the four corners of Hamilton Park. I can't tell you how many times I've come close to getting clipped. Just last night a red car came cruising around the corner. I didn't see or hear it coming.. and I had already stepped off the curb at the 8th and W. Hamilton corner. They seemed to be going 35-40 mph and missed me by inches.

The sad part is... they don't even realize it. I've come to the conclusion that it's too dangerous to cross at the park corners. Better to cross in the middle so after the car makes the turn they have some time to spot you.

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Ditto! That whole restructuring is a mess and if you want to get to Grand from the Turnpike exit, you now have to take that short left turn under the overpass, which is always dark with random people crossing to and fro.

Plus, on Montgomery there is that horrible traffic light that you can't actually read until you are directly under it. It seems to be solar-reflected (sorry, don't know how else to explain it) and hard to read.

Not to mention the Sausage truck guy parked on the corner.

Hope the kid is okay. The driver must be freaked out. Heelys should be outlawed.

And so should Healy, apropos of nothing.

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a disaster waiting to happen...especially since they changed it. they also need to do something to prevent pedestrians from crossing that off ramp...it's insanely dangerous

Driver at fault. He states he saw the kids crossing the street before all this happened. When you see people in the road, especially kids who's actions are often unpredictable, you slow down so you can stop at a safe distance if necessary. If the kid fell backwards and got hit, it means the driver was planning to pass them within 4-6' at a rate of speed such that he could not stop in time should the unexpected happen. Jaywalking doesn't matter. You don't play chicken with pedestrians even though they may play chicken with cars.

Considering how often I've nearly been hit in crosswalks (and even nearly hit someone once or twice) - I wouldn't be surprised at all if the kid was crossing at the corner. Even if he wasn't there are other ways it's possible that the driver was partly at fault (could have been speeding, not paying attention, etc.) I just wouldn't jump to any conclusions one way or the other.

It looks like this happened at Montgomery by the Turnpike overpass. That intersection is crazy, with westbound cars waiting to turn onto the Turnpike ramp and eastbound cars getting off Montgomery going to Columbus. They have to rethink that traffic pattern -- maybe build another Turnpike entrance/exit directly onto Grand St.

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Very true, but there's also no common courtesy FROM pedestrians towards drivers. I can't say I never jaywalk or ride a bike the wrong way up a street, but when I do I acknowledge that in any confrontation I'm in the wrong. I try to give way to the pedestrians or vehicles that actually do have right of way, or at least speed up my walk, rather than slowly agressively stroll like most kids.

As for the driver, who knows what he thought, but I've always been amazed at people's willingness to bet their lives on the fact that I'm not distracted in some way while driving down a section where there shouldn't be someone in the middle of the street.

Thank you brewster -- these are exactly my thoughts.

I see parents all the time on JFK grabbing their kid by the hand or picking him/her up and running across the 4 lanes against traffic. Of course I feel sorry for a 10 year old getting run over, but I blame the parents for setting a bad example and not watching over their kids.

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This story terrifies me since I cross Montgomery with my daughter daily on the way to preschool. Of course I wouldn't let her wear wheeled shoes -- but kids (and adults) do sometimes fall even in shoes without wheels. I don't think you should automatically assume the kids involved were jaywalking. I know from experience that it is extremely rare for cars speeding down Montgomery to stop for pedestrians, even at street corners or crosswalks. I never cross illegally -- and even so I have to weave through traffic and have come close to being hit several times. There seems to be no enforcement of traffic laws, and no common courtesy towards pedestrians from drivers.

No, Heelys can't be sued--they've got a warning sticker! LOL.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/0 ... renting/main1365761.shtml

I do think the driver must be crazy or had been on something -- not to know he had hit the kid???

This was during 6:30pm rush hour.

But I also want to know why Heely's Shoes aren't sued all the time? Any Lawyers out there?

I know this is said FAR too often but can't we ban these stupid shoes at least in our schools!

Dumb ASS Parents for letting their kids wear these things!!!

GET YOUR DAMN KID OFF MY MERCEDES!

Hmmm, I'm not going to start the blame game, since I wasn't there. Sure, they could have been jaywalking and doing heely tricks, or they could have been crossing at the light in front of someone wanting to make a right on red and simply fell down. Those shoes suck---I know quite a few kids who have taken spills, always falling backwards--I mean, WTF? I'm a parent, I'll let my kids skateboard, but those shoes? WTF?

I still find it kind of odd that the driver didn't realize there was a kid stuck under the car.

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Yeah, a 10 yo who fell backwards trying to do a heely trick while jaywalking in front of an oncoming car. I'm a parent, but being a kid makes you neither right all the time nor immortal.

My personal favorite jaywalkers are the mothers pushing stroller while on the cellphone.

Oh #OOPS# off. It's a 10-year-old kid for crying out loud.

The article doesn't flat out say it, but it seems pretty clear the car had right-of-way and the kids were jaywalking. This is a major problem in JC on these 4 lane roads like Montgomery (especially around the projects next to the Beacon) and JFK Blvd. It seems there's at least one death a year on JFK, and you can say all you want about cars driving faster than the 25 mph speed limit, but the real problem is the jaywalkers. Anyone who runs across Montgomery or JFK against the traffic signal is an idiot.

Wow, that totally sucks, but it could have been much worse. How could the guy not know there was someone under his car?

Maybe this will help end the "Heelys" fad.

HEROIC RESCUE OF BOY
Fight for life after 10 lift car
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A 10-year-old Jersey City boy remained in critical condition last night, a day after being run over by a car when he slipped while crossing Montgomery Street, officials said.

Witnesses came together to lift the car off Carlos Procell, of Merseles Street, who remained in intensive care yesterday, officials said. The boy was hit near his home just after 6:30 p.m.

Liam Hines, 28, of Hudson Street in Jersey City, told police he was driving his 2005 Mercedes east on Montgomery Street when he saw three boys crossing the street ahead of him. But Procell slipped and fell backwards in front of the car.

Hines slammed to a stop, but Procell's head and arm got stuck under the front of the low-riding sports car, officials said.

Procell's grandmother, Vorida Davila, said last night the School 9 boy remained in intensive care.

His aunt, Miriaam Davila, said family members were elated that doctors found Procell didn't suffer a skull fracture, but that he does have rib injuries, blood in his lungs and facial lacerations. The aunt said he was in great pain and doctors were keeping him sedated and unconscious.

Family members said Procell was wearing "Heelys" - sneakers with a single wheel embedded in the sole - and may have lost control as he crossed the street with his cousins, Joseph Arnold, 9, and Jonathan Davila, 11.

"When he fell he said 'Ow' and then the car hit his head and stopped a few feet later," Arnold said last night.

Jersey City Parking Authority Vice Chairman Lonnie Sobel was walking by with his grandchildren when he heard the impact and saw Procell lying under the car.

"He was under the car at least seven minutes before about 10 men moved it off him," Sobel said.

A neighborhood woman said Hines got out of his car and asked Arnold if he was OK, then - apparently not realizing he'd hit Procell - got back into the car. But another driver then pulled over and told Hines he'd hit another boy and that he was still trapped under his car.

Hines was not issued a summons, but the investigation is ongoing, Police Director Sam Jefferson said yesterday.