Two more pedestrians were struck Monday evening by a car while crossing North Main Street at Edison Avenue just south of where a 55-year-old man was killed crossing the four-lane arterial in November of 2017 and a 67-year-old woman was killed in December of 2016.
There have now been three pedestrian fatalities within 300 yards of the intersection making the area the most deadly place for pedestrians in Manteca. The third fatality was a first grader who was struck and killed while to Shasta School via Edison Street,
Monday’s accident involved two teens who were more than halfway across North Main Street when they were struck by a northbound sedan traveling in the outside lane at about 6 p.m. The teens were within 15 or so feet of reaching the curb when they were struck. The sun at that time of the day is starting to go down in the west prompting Manteca Police officers to indicate it was likely not a contributing factor.
One victim hit the windshield of the sedan while the other bounced off the hood. When police arrived the two victims were sitting on the curbing. Both were transported to an area hospital for treatment and observation of their injuries which appeared to be non-life threatening.
The city last year painted a higher profile crosswalk at the intersection. The accident was within 300 feet of the other two separate pedestrian fatality incidents that occurred north of the intersection.
Monday’s accident and the two fatalities occurred in a stretch of North Main Street where northbound traffic tends to speed up after going from one lane to two lanes just before Alameda Street. The next traffic signals after Alameda Street aren’t until you reach Louise Avenue. The only crosswalk on that stretch of North Main Street is at Edison Street,
The two fatalities were from people crossing mid-block where it is not illegal to do so given there are no controlled intersections. That said it can be particularly treacherous to cross especially at night when the two fatalities occurred given street lighting is spaced out and there are no medians that could act as a safe haven at the midpoint. Crossing the street is complicated by the fact there is a continuous left turn lane with numerous commercial driveways.
Three weeks ago a homeless woman in her mid to late 50s was struck and killed on Moffat Boulevard while heading west just before the 120 Bypass overcrossing after dark. The woman who was using a walker was walking in the street despite there being a sidewalk just several feet away.
Over the past five years, 13 pedestrians have been killed in Manteca — seven by trains and six by cars. The pedestrians struck and killed by cars included a man pushing his grandchild in a stroller who was hit midway across a crosswalk on Woodward Avenue by Woodward Park, and a man struck crossing Center Street just east of Main Street.
Three pedestrians were killed in Manteca last year. All were struck by trains. One was killed Aug. 7 while walking along Walnut Avenue. Another man was struck and killed July 26 by a northbound train at the South Main Street crossing in downtown Manteca. In January of 2018, a 28-year-old man was killed a half mile to the south when he was struck by a train along Moffat Boulevard to the west of the Spreckels Avenue/Industrial Park Drive crossing. In that incident, witnesses said the man who was killed appeared to be sleeping on the tracks. Manteca averages two pedestrian railroad deaths a year.
In an effort to reduce the potential for deaths, Union Pacific has installed fencing from Industrial Park Drive to Center Street. In addition, seven years ago the city installed wrought iron fencing on the tracks near the skate park after youth were seen frequently cutting across the tracks to reach the skate park.
There were 125 traffic deaths in San Joaquin County last year including 29 pedestrians.
