Local
Henderson Water Street crossing raises safety concerns after cars pass stroller user
Video from a Water Street crosswalk near Lake Mead Parkway shows three cars driving through while a person with a baby stroller waits, despite flashing pedestrian lights. Henderson police say drivers must yield when crossing lights are illuminated, and can still be cited for failing to yield when they are not flashing.
Three cars drove through a Henderson crosswalk as a person with a baby stroller waited to cross, according to video recorded on Water Street near the turn from Lake Mead Parkway. The pedestrian lights were flashing. Two other cars stopped and allowed the person to cross.
People who use the crossing and nearby businesses say drivers’ failure to stop makes the area feel dangerous. Kori Stewart, a bartender and general manager at Gold Mine Tavern, said people there joke that crossing the street feels like playing “Frogger” because pedestrians cannot tell whether drivers will yield.
Greg Stewart, a Boulder City resident, described crossing as a risk to one’s life. Video also showed a car passing through the crossing while two people were already in it.
Erin Breen of pedestrian-safety group PedSafe Vegas said she saw no problem with the crosswalk or its equipment, and blamed drivers’ inattention. She said motorists must stop for pedestrians preparing to cross, even when the pedestrian lights are not flashing.
The Henderson Police Department said drivers should watch for crosswalks and flashing signals. When crossing lights are illuminated, drivers must stop and yield to pedestrians waiting to cross, the department said. Drivers may also be cited for failing to yield when the lights are not flashing. Police encouraged pedestrians to make eye contact with drivers before entering the road.
The footage emerged during Pedestrian Safety Awareness Month, which is being observed nationally and in Southern Nevada. Local awareness events were scheduled for the following week.