Dangers of Jaywalking

Seventy year-old Nibia Nunez of Indio was struck and killed by a truck Saturday afternoon. She was trying to cross Highway 111 near Dune Palms road in La Quinta. She was not in the crosswalk.

We went back to the busy stretch of Highway 111 and found out she was not alone in jaywalking. Elvira Salas and her children held hands and walked quickly across the street. They were shocked to hear the news that someone had died doing exactly what they did. “Right now, I mean, we just crossed and I didn’t know that,” said Salas. “Even though it’s not good, I look both ways to make sure no cars are coming.”

Chris Rush also crossed without using the crosswalk, but says he doesn’t do it often. “I usually don’t do it, I usually make sure it’s clear and it’s safe, I wouldn’t advise people to do it,” said Rush. “I support the cross walk, I think it’s the way of a gentleman.”

Many rush across the busy street to get to the bus stop or the many restaurants on both sides of Highway 111. Salas believes the city can do more to keep people safe. “They should put up a big pedestrian light like in Coachella,” said Salas. There’s a stop sign with lights, and that way the cars could stop on both sides and people could cross, it’s easier and it’s safer.”

However, the solutions that Salas offered aren’t so plausible according to La Quinta Public Works Director Timothy Jonasson. “There’s no safe way to have people cross there and to put in traffic signals or pedestrian walks just to accommodate them is really cost-prohibited,” said Jonasson. “That section carries forty to fifty thousand vehicles a day at times and so to expect all the vehicles to stop, for that use, that’s just not a realistic step.”

The city asks that people follow the traffic signals and use the crosswalks at all times.