Police: Bridgeport woman, 79, fatally hit by car while in crosswalk with walker
Police say Marilyn Jones, 79, of Bridgeport, was in the crosswalk and was walking westbound when she was hit by a vehicle traveling south.
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Bridgeport police say a 79-year-old local woman was fatally hit by a car while crossing what residents describe as a dangerous intersection.
It happened at Washington Avenue, right by the on-ramp to Route 8, Route 25 and I-95 just before 8 a.m. Friday.
Police said Marilyn Jones was in the crosswalk, using her walker to get to the other side of Washington Avenue when a driver on Coleman Street headed toward the highway ramp and hit Jones. She later died at the hospital.
“The intersection is busy. It's filled with both residential properties and commercial businesses. There's a Dunkin' donuts nearby, a laundromat. There's often people walking across the street, and it is busy with cars,” said Officer Andrew Orum.
Orum said Jones lived nearby and often walked there. He wouldn’t comment on whether she had a walk signal or if the driver had the light.
“I don't want to say for certain, ‘Yes. It was green. Yes, It was red.’ I want to do a thorough investigation before I comment on that.” Orum told News 12.
He said the driver stopped and is cooperating. It’s not known if speed or the sun played a part in what happened.
“We're going to be looking at video footage. We're going to be looking at witness statements. We're going to be looking at the environment,” Orum explained.
People who live in the area told News 12 it's a dangerous intersection for pedestrians and drivers. They said one reason is the on-ramp and people always being a hurry to get onto the highway. They also pointed to the traffic lights and crosswalk times being too short, making it difficult for slower pedestrians, especially since cars often speed to try to beat the lights. One person said he's always wary there and more so now that another local family is grieving.
“We offer them our sincerest condolences for their loss at this time,” Orum said.
Police are asking anyone who might have relevant information to their investigation to call the Traffic Division at 203-576-7640 or the Police Tips Line at 203-576-TIPS.
