Pedestrian safety rally held in Pocatello
Just days after two local women were struck by a drunk driver, a pedestrian safety rally was held on the corner or Alameda Road and Yellowstone Avenue in Pocatello.
Organized by Lisa Simon of Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind, the event aims to raise awareness of public pedestrian safety.
Representatives from the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the School District 25 VOICE program, Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind, and the National Federation for the Blind all took part.
While the rally is not in response to Saturday’s incident, which left two in critical condition, it’s being held to recognize those who have been hit over the years.
“Many pedestrians locally has gotten hit in the community over the years,” event organizer Lisa Simon explained.
In fact, two of the rally’s participants, Jason Van Kirk and Garren Aubrey, were among those who’ve been struck.
Van Kirk said he “got lucky” when he was hit at Pocatello High School since he only dented the hood of the car that struck him. But he came out Monday to honor friends of his that were struck by a drunk driver years ago.
Jason’s goal Monday was simple, “to get one car to slow down today.”
The corner of Alameda and Yellowstone was actually the sight of Aubrey’s incident. When he made his way through the crosswalk Monday it the first time since he was struck, more than four years ago.
“I’ve been too afraid to cross this street for four years,” he said.
“We get into these habits where you feel invincible for a while and then all of a sudden something happens. You get bumped, you get hit, you get run over, whatever, all of a sudden you’re not leaving your house and that’s not okay,” Aubrey said.
Aiming to get people to slow down and pay more attention, the group is hoping to cut down on the number of people who are struck, especially in the blind and deaf community.
Monday’s event is the first of many the group plans to hold, but there isn’t currently anything else on the agenda.
