Pedestrian Hit by State Trooper in Southern Illinois

FIRST PERSON | More details regarding an incident in which a pedestrian was hit by a police car in Marion, Ill., have been released by the Illinois State Police. According to a news report from The Southern Illinoisan, police said a state trooper was observing the legal speed limit and safety precautions when he was involved in an accident with a pedestrian Tuesday.

The incident occurred around 10 p.m. at the intersection of Illinois Route 13 and Russell Street. The officer accidentally hit the pedestrian with his car, immediately called for an ambulance, then began administering first aid to the victim. The name of neither the victim nor the officer has been released. The pedestrian was transported to Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion with a possible broken leg, then later transferred to a St. Louis hospital. The state police force has not offered any updates on the victim's condition.

An investigation into the incident is underway, with the ISP examining surveillance from the officer's vehicle for more information about what happened. An earlier report stated that the officer was on patrol in the area when the accident occurred.

That particular intersection is a busy one; any locals who travel through it often see pedestrians or bicycle riders crossing. There are apartments and homes on both sides of the highway (Illinois Route 13), grocery stores, a popular chicken restaurant on the north side and a liquor store and two pizza places on the south side. I have personally seen a number of pedestrians over the years -- during daylight hours and nighttime hours -- crossing in unsafe manners at that intersection. There are no cross walks or crossing lights and, in order to cross from north to south, a pedestrian would have to walk across four lanes of highway traffic. In addition, the lighting at the intersection is not ideal.

While it is sad that a pedestrian was hit, it is not surprising it occurred at that particular intersection. Traffic congestion along Illinois Route 13 through Marion is usually bad, especially during the day, but at that time of night traffic is less heavy.

Authorities have not released information about exactly how the accident happened, whether the officer did not see the pedestrian or if the pedestrian stepped out in front of the vehicle.