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Another pedestrian is killed along U.S. 158
Another pedestrian has died while trying to cross busy U.S. 158 on the Outer Banks.
Lee Stone Crumpler, 44, of Kitty Hawk was struck by a vehicle while crossing Croatan Highway and died at the scene Tuesday, Kitty Hawk police reported.
The accident happened in the area of 3800 North Croatan Highway near Beacon Drive at about 11:30 p.m.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash continues, and no charges have been filed against the driver, the Police Department said in a statment.
A week ago, a pedestrian was killed Tuesday after he was hit by a truck at an intersection on U.S. 158 in Kill Devil Hills, police said.
John Wiley Carlton Jr., 44, of Kill Devil Hills was hit by a Reddy ice truck at the intersection of Sportsman Drive and U.S. 158 at about 3:10 p.m.
Southbound traffic was blocked for about 90 minutes.
Speed did not appear to be a factor, police said, and no charges were filed against the driver of the truck.
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Local says:
Lee worked at Captain Franks and played music there sometimes. He will be greatly missed.
chaser says:
RIP Lee!
amyhg says:
not one locally elected official cares enough to make this a real priority. this is not a new issue and we all know it. for a while we even had two ‘official’ transportation committees meeting. what came of those meetings?
it is ridiculous that this is as big an issue as it has become. we are a very long sandbar on which we entertain 7 million visitors a year. we even invite folks from other countries to come live and work yet forget to mention that there is no safe, consistent, affordable way to get around the outer banks. every night i drive home from a gig i see working people walking and riding bikes and side-of-the-road-dancing visitors who have no idea the dangers of our roads. it would be a very bad night should one of us lose balance or encounter a pothole or gust of wind.
to the powers who be: please help figure it out. if you do not have the capacity, i am willing to bet that there have been many folks who have offered reasonable and realistic solutions. maybe someone in position to do something can ‘un-table’ some of these ideas and see what we can make happen.
thoughts and prayers for the family and friends of our latest casualties.
chaser says:
Public transportation in the south still carries the stigma of being perceived as poor.
Virtualguy says:
Maybe we need frequent signs along the road warning drivers to “Be Alert For Pedestrians”, or something to that affect.
But, in fact, I have a better solution. You will have use your imagination and inject some progressive thinking here. Here’s the plan…
Turn the center turn lane into a 3rd Southbound lane, so we have 3 lanes going south. Turn the left Northbound lane into the turn lane and have only one lane of Northbound traffic on Croatan Hwy, BUT, make BOTH lanes of traffic on the beach road Northbound.
Now, we would have three lanes of Northbound traffic and three lanes of Southbound traffic, still with a turn lane on Croatan Hwy (aka the by-pass). We could even reduce the speed limit during the summer months to 40-45 MPH and make even better time getting around because of better traffic flow and less congestion.
This would also make it easier for pedestrians to cross Croatan Hwy, because they wouldn’t have to take chances “shooting the gap” in the ridiculous stream of traffic currently being accommodated by only two lanes in each direction. This would effectively move a portion of Northbound traffic to the beach road, reducing the net traffic on the bypass (Croatan Hwy).
This would especially improve traffic flow on changeover days and hurricane evacuations. Think about it. This could work!
TC says:
Please tell me how public tranportation would have saved either of these two men?
not44 says:
This issue has got to be addressed. Over the road pedestrian walkways, more lighting..something! I am quite sure 44 year old adults are aware of the traffic, so that is evidence enough that a solution has to be found. Prayers for the family and colleagues at Cap’n Franks
XZDC says:
OK, folks I / we live here. I / we drink other than “water”. Stuff happens when “other than water” is entered into the diet. Not saying these two poor souls did that. Now, route 93 north of Pheonix,AZ , a major road to the northern part of our great country, has these “flyover-walkways”………….I’m talking 50 to 80 miles plus “out of town”. Really. Now they are not very close together, but then folks out there live more than a block from the store. Would such a “fly-over walkway” spaced every-so-often be an added “attraction” to our safety conscious commuity ? Realtors speak up. Might mean a $$ or 2 to the westside fee. OK, lets ee where this goes.
)
Teddy Sablon says:
Lee was a good friend and a stellar musician I and many folks will miss him pleas build a walking bridge every 5 – 10 miles so people can cross this gigantic busey highway
idrive says:
I have to chime in here…@amyhg….there is a safe(er), affordable transporation system here, it’s called owning/driving a motor vehicle. If you can’t afford the cost of a vehicle and insurance – or choose not to – and you walk, bike on or across the bypass you had better be cautious…VERY cautious!! I have lived here a long long time, and I have cringed anytime circumstances have made me had to walk or bike on the bypass (or beach road for that matter)….I don’t like it. I don’t feel safe. And I just won’t do it anymore. If my car is unavailable to me (for whatever reason) I call a friend or a cab. For 5 to 10 dollars I can pretty much go wherever I want. Perhaps next time you pass by someone on your way home you should stop and give them a ride and help get them off the street and out of danger. Charity starts at home and it does take a village.
People have suggested building foot bridges at every intersection up and down 158, but that won’t stop jaywalking and the danger it holds. I feel terrible about the two dear men that lost their lives in this past week or so, but there is no solution other than reminding EVERYONE to exercise caution and common sense when travelling 158 by any means.
I do suggest that we replace the County programming on channel 19 and/or 20 with useful information to tourists, visiting workers, and locals alike, with reminders of the “Rules of the Road”…which side to walk on, which side to bike on, where to cross, what is illegal, and what is just plain stupid/dangerous. Both drivers and pedestrians would find this information useful and helpful. We have to take responsibility for our own actions and stop asking the powers that be to “fix” what our common sense should be accountable for.
Colleen A says:
Why not make each town responsible for puting in sidewalks? Have a fundraiser, turn it into a town event, ask business owners to pitch-in. I bet that would make a huge difference.
KDH resident says:
My son did a Civics Project last year, and the project was the cost, permitting, grants available and maintainability of pedestrian bridges on the Outer Banks, specifically by Colington Rd. But, I think they can be put anywhere that they fit. It would cost the towns about $500,000 for construction without the grants and the maintainence on them are minimal. The town of Kill Devil Hills was extremely impressed with the presentation and was asked to present it to Dare County as well. Warren Judge also was in attenance during this presentation. The teacher never did set it up with Dare County, but this proposal was awesome and if implimented probably could have saved both men’s lives. My heart goes out to their families.
Darkseas says:
Sadly, the suggestions for overhead crosswalks, while well-intentioned, just aren’t something that are anywhere near the realm of being affordable.
As another poster noted, you’ve got to do it at every intersection, and even then people will jaywalk. Who will go a half mile out of their way to cross a street?
Every one of the crossovers will have to be handicapped-accessible by law. That means, among other things, the the ramps up and down will have to have a fairly gentle slope and will have to start well back of the highway. We’ve looked at these in Northern Virginia, and they are far too expensive to build.
If you want to spend some money, you might consider push button walk/don’t walk signals that turn the lights red in all four directions. But that would probably require extra street lighting so drivers turning right on red could see pedestrians at night.
Police enforcement works well — when police are there enforcing. When they aren’t, pedestrians and drivers revert to stupid behavior.
There’s just no easy and affordable solution to facilitate pedestrian crossing of busy highways.
KHer says:
At the time of night when this man was killed there was very little traffic. But, still, crossing 158 at anytime of day or night is a judgment call, especially when not at a traffic light. Public transportation, esp. when the victims have automobiles, won’t make a difference.
Yet many of these fatalities happen within 100 yards or less of traffic lights. You wonder how often alcohol consumption, whether on the part of the driver or the pedestrian plays a role. Esp. at 11:30PM.
Sue says:
Chaser, both public transportation and riding a bike are still perceived as being poor and so is WALKING! In the north and west, they are perceived as resourceful and healthy. So git yer Dodge Ram revved up and go at it, son. Lol!
Kim says:
Lee was a very sweet man and he will be missed. RIP Lee.
Harvey Hess says:
Lee was a really nice guy and a great employee. He was affable, never missed a day, and had a sense of humor that made me laugh even when it was downright unfunny…! He will be greatly missed by me and all the staff and many customers at Capt’n Franks….. and his cat Buffalo. He was a great Mets fan and loved ODU anything. He was a really good guitar player and loved his music, his family, his friends at the restaurant, and his cat.
Lee, you will be dearly missed and will have a place in our hearts and the restaurant as long as we are here.
Sing on my friend and know that you touched many lives..
From all of us at Capt’n Franks, we will miss you.
CF
Friend says:
Hey everyone, I say this in the nicest way possible but I think that everyone’s conclusions and opinions here are way off base. Once the actual accounts of this accident hit come out everyone will realize that the only thing that might have saved this mans life were street lights. It was late at night when there were only three cars on the road. Making this horrible accident another reason to bring up stop lights and speed limits is just uncalled for because you just don’t understand the facts. My condolences are with the pedestrian’s family as well as the driver and their family who was also a victim in this horrible accident.
KDH resident says:
@Darkseas, according to the study that was done it is affordable due to the many grants that are out there for this. These kids that had to do this project had to go into extreme detail. It is do-able.
KDH resident says:
oh and they are handicap & bicycle accessible too.
ekim says:
KDH RES 500.000 REALLY ?
cjs says:
this is a terrible thing… sorry to hear it. however crossing a 50 mph highway is a terrible thing to try and 11:30 at night??? whoa! That road scares me, even while driving a car…. Be careful, people…
Dakota says:
For Capt’n Franks being my first job, Lee was great! Always wanting to get to know all of us. A true Outer Banker! You will definitely be missed.
KDH resident says:
@ekim, yes $500K without the grants, with the grants it would be considerably lower, probably about $200K, I don’t think that is a lot. How can you put a price tag on a life. If it saves one life it’s absolutely worth it.
Jason says:
Many good points here, sidewalks, crossovers, etc. I hope we can get something done here to avoid future bad things like this. The sooner the better.
Darkseas says:
KDH Resident,
Without seeing the study, I can’t comment on how good it may or may not be. Do you have a URL for it?
Here are some problems I see, and you or your son can address them or not.
1) Under ADA standards, a handicapped-accessible ramp requires 12 feet of run for every foot of rise. Normal trucks are just under 14 feet high. If you built a crosswalk at 15 feet high, you’d need a run of 210 feet or 70 yards on either side. Even with switchbacks, that’s a serious amount of land.
2) Given that the bypass is the only route up and down the Outer Banks that isn’t crossed by overhead wires (as on Virginia Dare Trail), you’d want to make the crosswalk as high as possible. I’m not expert on oversize loads, but even at 20 feet high, we’re talking 100 yard ramps.
3) I doubt that NCDOT has that kind of land available in their easements at various intersections, and certainly not between intersections. That means easements for the ramps would have to be purchased from the property owners (mostly taking part of their parking lots). That in itself would cost more than $500K just for the easements on both sides.
4) The most telling point, however, is that you’d need to space crosswalks probably every 200 yards apart. Even if you only did 4 crosswalks per mile, that’s $2 million per mile using your figures. Just because there are grants for these things doesn’t mean that OBX towns could obtain them. If there were easy grants to be had, there would be overhead crosswalks in every city and town in the country.
I don’t mean to pick on your son’s work, which I’m sure was very fine, but it doesn’t sound to me as if it reflects the whole story.
MichaelAP5 says:
One obvious solution that costs nothing is to lower the in-season speed limit to 40mph. This would only add 3 minutes to a trip from Nags Head to Kitty Hawk.
Nick Simmons says:
So sad to hear. Lee will be missed by many. Please be cautious while driving in the OBX
FreshFish says:
Just how, pray tell, is sidewalks going to stop people from walking in front of vehicles while crossing da Skreet ?
khcat says:
speed limit on bypass s/b reduced to 35 mph during summer and people standing in center turn lane waiting to cross s/b given tickets.
Nickrite says:
Sorry to burst anyone’s bubble but an ordinary sedan and a human colliding is mostly fatal above 30mph, so lowering the speed limit to 40mph would be of very limited value. Add to that most of us do not drive regular sedans but bluff fronted SUV’s and trucks and the pedestrian comes off badly at even 30mph. Yes we do have issues with traffic/people interaction but more knee jerk reaction will not solve it. My condolences to this gentleman’s friends. family AND his cat.
KDH resident says:
@Darkseas, granted I was only being very brief about it, because I didn’t want to my comments to get too technical or goodness forbid political in this forum and off track of the tragedy of this man being killed. I do still have the power point presentation they did if you would like me to email you a copy. Granted this was a high school project, but at least it could be looked at a little more seriously by the towns to see if their is anyway even a couple of them could be built in the most crossed areas of the bypass.
KHer says:
Crosswalks at lights, crossovers are useless as long as people cross wherever they choose.
There is a traffic light close by where this tragedy happened. But it required extra walking/extra time and in the other direction. He chose not to go that route.
Karen Rodgers says:
So sad to hear of another pedestrian fatality on the OBX. There could have been two more last night as I traveled from a meeting in KDH home to Manteo. By Jockey’s Ridge there were cars parked everywhere and all the lots full. Traffic was full four lanes and running across the bypass was two adult men with kites in hand. They were missed by the northbound traffic and as they started to run across the southbound, they stopped, falling almost face first into the traffic. They were within inches of the car in front of me and my car. I would not have been able to avoid them and I was only doing 40 at the time. These were not kids, it wasn’t quite dark (8:35PM) and there is a crosswalk within fifty feet from where they were crossing. Being local, we see how many take the roads for granted and they think the cars will slow or stop to let them go across. Doesn’t happen when you are moving along at 40-50 mph. Crossover’s sound like a great idea, but remember we live in a wind prone area, noreasters, hurricanes and strong thunderstorms could take them out. NCDOT has talked about putting jersey barriers up the length of the bypass, with only turning lanes at the intersections. This might slow things down, but will it stop the pedestrians from jumping them and running across the highway anyway? I doubt it. The alert signs might help, especially at night. The police were all around Jockey’s Ridge last night, but they would not have been able to save those two men with the kites from being hit. My heart goes out to Lee’s family and friends, we saw him many times at Captain Franks.
Jayt says:
You can lower the speed limit to 30mph AND put a light at every single intersection througout the whole county and people will still jaywalk between the intersections and get hit and killed.
Now, I can’t tell you what the exact answer is, but I can tell you that Walk-overs, stop lights and speed limit changes is not the answer.
kdhgirl says:
The drivers need to be more alert when driving, I feel sorry for everyone invovled in this tragedy but the person driving didn’t even know what they hit,when the accident happened. Be alert people someone is always walking or biking on the bypass, not safe but it happens.
Friend says:
Of course the driver didn’t know what they hit when a person appears in the road at 11:30 at night in an area that has no lights. The driver was completely sober and alert and as a witness had said was at NO fault. Dropping the speed limit makes no change in this accident. Stay out of the road it is not for pedestrians, stop jaywalking … if people follow the laws that are already in place we wouldn’t be having these horrible incidents on the Outer Banks.
hugo says:
Pay attention first and foremost…getting it by a car(on a busy highway) is rarely the drivers fault. A bad decision can cost you your life…period.
cat says:
Wow…just came across this article:
http://outerbanksvoice.com/2010/09/27/pedestrian-killed-while-crossing-u-s-158/ Striano, who was wearing dark clothing, was hit in the southbound lanes where there are no streetlights.
Salvo Jimmy says:
I know this will likely draw some fire but here is how I see this.
Tragic as the deaths are, if you look closely along the bypass you will see that almost all traffic lighted intersections have a crosswalk and pedestrian control button. In additon most are well lighted by street lights and have signs (usually for turning vehicles) indicating pedestrians have the right of way. The above is particularly true in congested areas.
Adding overhead walkways that would, by funding limts, be even farther apart than the pedestrian protected intersections would solve nothing. And as someone else says lowered speed limits would likely contribute little to nothing.
You can’t legislate against lack of common sense, laziness, and as ole’ Ron White says, “Ya can’t fix stupid”.
If one jaywalks, they take their chance and sometimes the consequence is death or injury.
kdhgirl says:
I believe that a sober and alert driver would know at the last second what they hit. I agree that no one should be walking or biking on the sholder of the by-pass.
Bypass needs multi use path says:
This is just another stupid mistake that could be avoided. I ride my bike everywhere. Not because I am poor, but because it’s way more fun to get to a destination by bike. The way people in vehicles get angry makes me sick when they see cyclists or pedestrians on the streets. I believe the best answer to this solution is a multi use path along the west side of the bypass. With a guardrail btwn the highway and path. That way cyclists would have to cross at an intersection with a traffic light. It’s not fair that some of us don’t have lights at our neighborhoods to safely cross the street. I am forced to ride my bike 1/2 mile on the by pass when leaving my neighborhood. I am not gonna drive the 2 miles to work each day because of having to ride on the bypass. I’m not that lazy that icant ride to miles. It’s time to step it up and get us all moving!
Local&lovin' it says:
Just yesterday I witnessed a young man and three boys cross against the light at First Street – the man barely was missed getting hit. There was another man with kids who waited for the light to change and he made it across safely. It is just plain dangerous to try to cross any major highway without following safety rules! And, I do like the idea of adding wide bike/walking paths that are not part of the by-pass and definitely,lowering the by-pass speed limit to 40 because it will make a difference. Driving slower gives you a better chance of seeing someone or something stopped or slowing down in the road and stopping distance is much shorter.
So sorry for the families who lost loved ones.
family member says:
Just wanted to say to Salvo Jimmy….as a family member I believe that Lee, by far, was not stupid. He, while in the Air-force worked for Langley and researched satellites. He was not a fool that would have put himself in a situation to be hit crossing the street. I truly believe that the girl that had the misfortune of hitting my cousin is gonna struggle and I pry for her healing. But please don’t say…”ya can’t fix stupid’ when you really aren’t sure what you or who you are talking about. There are lots of friends and family that could/will be offended by this and I have always been taught to not speak ill of the dead. We, his family and friends, did love and continue to love Lee Stone Crumpler…May his music be heard through all of the outer banks!!! Period…Let his family heal and his music be heard! We love you Lee and will so miss you!!!! Rock the boat baby!!!
Steve says:
The answer to most all our problems is to downsize the tourist population.
Brent Hoelzer says:
If we want to have this many people here, crossovers are necessary. It allows both auto and foot traffic to do their own thing.
Beach Bouy says:
Nonsense. They don’t have crossovers in Va Beach. They don’t have crossovers in Myrtle Bch. They don’t have crossovers at any beach I’ve ever been to, and I don’t think you will ever see them here, for a variety of very good reasons. For one thing, they would be a liability the town towns/country can’t afford. Drivers must be alert to pedestrians, and pedestrians must be alert to idiot drivers who don’t pay attention and don’t drive responsibly.
Salvo Jimmy says:
To the family member.
Like I said I knew my comments would likely draw fire.
However, if Lee or the others were in a crosswalk with the traffic light in their favor, it would be far less likely anyone would have been hit, and the driver would be at fault but none seem to have been charged.
If the folks were jaywalking then they were at fault and suffered the consequence for their actions. Tragic but reality.
And finally if one is smart enough not to put themselves in a position to be hit crossing a road, then why were they hit???
We all suffer from lapses in judgement and sometimes do STUPID things. Does not mean we are STUPID in general, just STUPID at the moment of the lapse.
Sorry if you were offended, but I think my comments reflect reality.
KDH Cit says:
If you put a crossover EVERY 20 yards along the bypass, people will still shoot the gap between the crossovers to avoid the 20 yard walk.
Don’t waste my tax payer dollars on useless crossovers when they will not be used.
Salvo Jimmy says:
KDH Cit.
Even if standing next to one, it probably would not get used because of the roughly 15 ft climb.
For all crossover advocates.
Tell me which program(s) you would cut to pay for each crosswalk so my taxes don’t go up. Please include the grant $s unless they come from charitable contributions.
Bill says:
I literally spent $185+ dollars a year on beach sand per my recent town tax bill(s).
Crossover walkways at high foot traffic areas around the bypass…, I would rather pay for that as it would “save lives!”
Sure there would be jaywalkers, but those who at least use the bridges are guaranteed safety.
Bill says:
Also would not crossovers, be a perfect Fed Stimulus work project?! How do you get that type of grant money flowing into local work projects such as this?
Especially when the “resume need” includes multiple fatalities per year associated with pedestrian crossings.
enough is enough says:
Stop…. lets just totally ban ALL driving on the OBX then everyone is safer, and the gas prices drop, nobody has a car payment, or insurance.
Beach Bouy says:
Crossovers would be an expensive eyesore and a liability. You never let go of a bad idea, do you? lol
Warning signs for pedestrians and motorists is a better idea. The signs should have a body count, updated annually, to get people’s attention and make them aware of the danger.
jason says:
@Beach Bouy…. If people do not pay attention to cars going by them at 40 or 50 miles per hour do you think they’re really going to pay attention to a warning sign?
Beach Bouy says:
First of all, let’s get one thing straight. There is no perfect solution. The cars will come and people will make mistakes, both drivers and pedestrians.
How did you learn your name? How did you learn your phone number or street address? Through repetition.
They way we learn most things is through repetition; the process of being repeatedly exposed to something until it becomes prominently etched into our memory banks.
Signs… numerous signs… can begin the process of making drivers and pedestrians aware to the dangers of crossing the highway here, and the number of people who have lost their lives crossing the highway here. This will eventually increase the awareness of the dangers pedestrians face trying to cross the highway. It won’t stop pedestrian fatalities. Nothing will, because people are people, and people make bad choices, and people make mistakes.
More people have lost their lives once they are at the beach that those trying to get to the beach. Three people have drowned while swimming in the ocean this year, so far. Should we build crosswalks over the ocean or prevent people from swimming? Of course not.
But, making swimmers more aware of the dangers keeps more people out of the water, and fewer people have drowned than would have if we had no red flags alerting people to the dangerous riptide conditions.
Call them warning signs or call it an educational campaign. But, short of spending a fortune, creating ugly eyesore crosswalks, or infringing on the rights of individuals, a “danger awareness” campaign is the best answer.
Salvo Jimmy says:
I’m sort of with you Beach Bouy as I do think the Rip Current campaign has had some effect.
I once lived in England where they drive on the WRONG side of the road as opposed to the RIGHT side ( pun intended ). Most major tourist areas had an arrow pointing to the right painted on the sidewalk with a LOOK RGHT along with it. An attempt to help those of us (including most of the world) conditioned to look LEFT for traffic before stepping out.
Seemed to help.
Salvo Jimmy says:
Here’s your chance for input
http://hamptonroads.com/2012/08/ncdot-developing-state-pedestrian-bicycle-plan#comment-1396826
Beachbound says:
I am very sorry to read about the recent losses due to wrecklessness of drivers and or pedistrians. It really is a difficult situation on both sides. Crossovers are definately not an option. Education helps but how do you educate pedestrians? When walking you need to walk FACING THE TRAFFIC and when you ride your bike you need to RIDE WITH THE TRAFFIC. I learned that in elementary school in 1962….Anyway we don’t need to have less tourists as one person suggested (how ignorant) but we do need some kind of awareness! My heart goes out to the families, friends, and pets of the lossed ones! So sad!
Beach Bouy says:
Riding a bicycle WITH THE TRAFFIC is a good way to get run over. It’s a bad rule. If the driver doesn’t see you, you have no protection from impact and NO chance to avoid impact because you never see it coming, unless you have eyes in the back of your head. I don’t know anyone with eyes in the back of their head. I ride facing the traffic. I can see that a driver sees me. In the event of impending impact, I at least have a chance to brace for it or make a last ditch effort to avoid it. Cyclers who ride with traffic may be following the rules, but they expose themselves to a greater danger of getting killed.
Drewski says:
RIP My Brother!