MEDFORD, Ore. – Medford Police, Oregon State Police, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office conducted a targeted pedestrian safety enforcement on Friday morning.
The operation, which seeks to increase pedestrian safety, took place at the busy intersection of 4th and Bartlett streets. There, a plain-clothed community officer crossed the intersection every few minutes, and drivers who failed to yield were pulled over and issued citations.
Oregon law requires drivers to stop and remain stopped if a pedestrian is in a marked or unmarked crosswalk in the driver’s lane of traffic. Medford Police Sergeant Erica Doran, who participated in the operation, advises both pedestrians and drivers to slow down and be alert.
“I would just tell them to keep their heads up and not be distracted, to potentially avoid any type of collision like that. The same with the drivers, they really need to be paying attention,” Sergeant Doran said.
Failing to yield for a pedestrian can result in a $265 fine.
Sergeant Doran says she suspects pedestrian-involved traffic accidents are on the rise.
Back in April, NBC5 News reported on a mother and child struck by a vehicle at a different intersection in downtown Medford, as they were lawfully crossing the street.
The community officer present at Friday’s operation says MPD will soon issue a press release with exactly how many citations were issued.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.