A pedestrian who was struck by a vehicle on north Main Avenue earlier this week was cited with illegally crossing the street, according to the Durango Police Department.
“There’s often the misperception a pedestrian cannot be at fault in a vehicle-pedestrian crash, and that’s just not true,” said Cmdr. Jacob Dunlop. “A pedestrian can be the at-fault component of incidents like this.”
Around 12:30 p.m. Monday, a pedestrian, identified as Joshua Biswas, 24, of Durango was crossing Main Avenue in the 1800 block, in the middle of the block, and not at a crosswalk or intersection, Dunlop said.
Biswas was headed from the east side of Main Avenue to the west side, and was able to cross the northbound lanes and make it to the center lane, Dunlop said.
According to investigators, a truck in the inside southbound lane slowed down for Biswas, which obstructed the view of a driver in a Subaru also traveling south in the outside lane.
As a result, the driver in the Subaru did not see the pedestrian. When Biswas crossed the truck’s lane and went into the outside lane, the driver in the Subaru slammed on the brakes, but was unable to avoid Biswas.
Dunlop said the truck likely also obstructed Biswas’ view of the oncoming car.
Biswas was taken by ambulance to Mercy Regional Medical Center with potentially serious injuries, Dunlop said. A Mercy spokeswoman said Thursday that Biswas had been discharged from the hospital.
Dunlop said Biswas was issued a municipal traffic violation on suspicion of a “pedestrian running into traffic,” as well as a violation for a “pedestrian failing to use a crosswalk as required.”
Dunlop said there is a crosswalk at the intersection of Main Avenue and 19th Street.
“We ask pedestrians cross in a safe manner and use crosswalks,” he said.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
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