The Saco Police Department, the Department of Public Works and MaineDOT are continuing to “identify short- and long-term goals to address pedestrian safety” in Saco after an uptick in incidents involving pedestrians and motor vehicles this year, police say.

Saco Bay News requested a response from the Saco Police Department after a Bradley Street resident challenged the city to take action after three people were injured or killed in separate incidents in August and November.

Chelsea Hill of 108 Bradley St., who spearheaded a GoFundMe campaign after her neighbor, Li Z Wu, was killed on Nov. 1, spoke to the city council on Nov. 6 about concerns regarding pedestrian safety. She referred to “all incidents collectively” and did not specifically mention Li Wu.

Wu, 73, was in the crosswalk on Bradley Street when she was struck by a Jeep making a left turn from Spring Street onto Bradley Street, according to police.

On Nov. 13, a hit-and-run accident occurred when a vehicle reportedly struck a pedestrian and their dog as they were crossing Lincoln Street just west of Forest Street.

In the third incident, authorities said Kimberley Lavin, 56, of Saco, died Aug. 2, after being struck by a dump truck while walking east on Water Street in the roadway.

As of Dec. 20, all three incidents remain under investigation, according to Deputy Chief Corey Huntress. Huntress is also the traffic safety officer for the city and the chairman of the Traffic Safety Committee.

“In looking at the crash data so far in 2023, we have had two fatal crashes involving pedestrians and seven crashes overall involving pedestrians,” said Huntress in a Dec. 14 response to questions emailed in November.

“This is an increase from prior years,” Huntress said. While Wu’s death occurred at “a high crash location in Saco, “What we have seen is that both driver and pedestrian inattention, distraction and impatience have increased from prior years.”

When asked about the increase in incidents of pedestrian injuries, Huntress referenced the MDot online Public Crash Query Tool. Data shows there were two hurt in 2018; four in 2019; two in 2020; three in 2021; and two in 2022. From 2018-22 there was one fatality involving a pedestrian, statistics show.

Hill told councilors in November that she is collecting information that she said will demonstrate the city’s failure to act over a long period of time. Unlike some other cities and states, neither the state of Maine nor its municipalities can be held liable or be sued for “failing to act” after traffic-related deaths, she said. “Ultimately the city can’t be sued for negligence.”

“It is my opinion there is no single point of information that comes into the city,” Hill said.

Hill proposed creating a single point of aggregation, as the city doesn’t have a map the public can access about public safety issues.

 “My intent is, it would bring attention to the fact we are not doing this,” she said.

Hill suggested using ArcGIS, an incident-mapping tool residents could use to call law enforcement in real-time when they see incidents to “see what neighbors complain about.”

Incident-tracking is not on the Saco Police Department’s radar, however.

“Regarding real-time computer-aided dispatch of calls that police are being sent to, is not being considered currently,” Huntress said, “due to public safety, privacy, as well as CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services) restrictions.” 

Hill did not respond to an email asking for her reaction to the response by police.

Besides Huntress, the eight-member ad hoc Traffic Safety Committee also includes Chief of Police Jack Clements, Fire Chief John Duross, City Administrator John Bohenko, Public Works Director Pat Fox, Councilor Nathan Johnston and resident William Gale.

“Pedestrian/crosswalk safety in the community is a concern,” according to minutes from the Nov. 16 Traffic Safety Committee workshop, during which it was stated that the city’s Communications Department should concentrate on Vision Zero, which is no fatalities on roadways.

The most recent minutes of the Traffic Safety Committee also reflect that “historically the city has been ranked #1 in the state per capita” for crashes, with more than 500 this year so far. In addition, OUI’s “skyrocketed.”

Other topics discussed were:

• poor driver and pedestrian behavior

• the need to be cognizant of driver safety and use of speed cameras

• urging drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians to take responsibility

• using warning flags

• educational programs in schools

• having Thornton Academy students make a video about driver/pedestrian safety 

The committee has advocated for stop signs, bollards, speed bumps, flashing pedestrian signs and other measures as solutions to other traffic safety concerns and planned to continue discussing pedestrian-crosswalk safety at their next meeting, slated for Jan. 18. The TSC meets every other month on the third Thursday at 6 p.m.

Ann Fisher is a freelance journalist based in Saco. She can be reached at 432-7483.