An 82-year-old man from Pontiac, who was struck by a truck while crossing the street earlier this week, has succumbed to his injuries, marking a grim tally for the city's pedestrian fatalities this year.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office reported that the man, identified as Larry Gene Howard, was hit around 12:30 p.m. Monday while navigating the crosswalk at Walton Boulevard and Baldwin Avenue; despite being rushed to the hospital, Howard died last Friday, as noted in a release cited by CBS News and corroborating articles from MLive and The Detroit News.
The driver of the Chevrolet Colorado, a 68-year-old Pontiac man, had been turning onto Walton Boulevard from Baldwin Avenue at the time of the fatal encounter; the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit is still investigating the circumstances of the crash, which is the sixth pedestrian-involved fatality in Pontiac this year.
Local authorities have been on high alert due to the rise in pedestrian incidents, resulting in Sheriff Mike Bouchard stepping up enforcement and issuing warnings and citations for various violations, including speeding and texting while driving. This approach, however, has not seemed to stem the tide of accidents, with "70 crashes involving pedestrians in Pontiac since January 2023, including seven that resulted in fatalities and 19 involving serious injury," as reported by The Detroit News.
Amid residents' concerns and the efforts for improved safety measures, the recent fatalities reflect an ongoing challenge for the community of Pontiac, which has also prompted the city council to implement additional stop signs on certain intersections heavily trafficked by pedestrians.
