Marcela Martinez-Torres, 23, of Lambertville suffered multiple injuries to the head and body after being hit while crossing Route 165 at about 8:30 a.m. Friday.
By: Linda Seida
LAMBERTVILLE The pedestrian who was hit by a car last week on Route 165 died Monday night, and officials are calling for new safety measures along the city’s major roadways in the wake of the accident.
Marcela Martinez-Torres, 23, of Lambertville suffered multiple injuries to the head and body when she was struck by a vehicle about 8:30 a.m. Friday. She was crossing the street on her way to work at a local dry cleaner.
No criminal charges have been filed, but the accident still is under investigation, Lambertville Police Director Bruce Cocuzza said Tuesday morning.
The driver, Jason Rutherford, 21, of Robbinsville was not injured and declined medical treatment, according to police and the Hunterdon County prosecutor’s office. At the time of the accident, he had been traveling north in the left lane, authorities said.
The posted speed limit on the stretch of road where the accident occurred is 35 mph. Mr. Cocuzza declined to say if speeding was a factor.
"It really saddens me," City Council President Cynthia Ege said of the accident. "This is really a problem that’s ongoing, and we need to fix it. I don’t know what the answer is, but we need to make sure that we make this a priority, and the area is safe for everybody."
One remedy suggested by Mayor David Del Vecchio is at odds with the state Department of Transportation’s proposal to install roundabouts in the city to slow traffic and increase safety.
The DOT’s proposal calls for three roundabouts at the intersection of Mount Hope Street and Route 29; at Quarry Street where it spills out near Route 29; and the third to replace the traffic light at Route 179 and Bridge Street.
Also, the plan would cut the lanes along routes 29 and 165 from four to two with a center-turn lane. Along Route 179, the four lanes would be reduced to one lane going south and two going north.
But instead of roundabouts, which would slow traffic, the mayor wants to see traffic completely stopped to allow for safer pedestrian crossings. He has asked the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission for the funds to install a pedestrian-controlled traffic light.
"Obviously it’s a problem area; everyone knows that," Mayor Del Vecchio said. "Now the question is, what do we do about it? The DOT has come up with their solution with the roundabouts. I, myself, am much more comfortable with something that stops traffic."
He added he also wants to see a uniform speed limit of 25 mph throughout the city.
No decision has been made yet concerning the grant request, and Mayor Del Vecchio could not say how much such a traffic signal would cost.
Mrs. Ege is willing to at least consider the DOT’s proposal, but in the meantime, something must be done to make the roads safer for everyone, she said. She said she has asked the DOT to return for two question-and-answer sessions with residents and to give a month’s notice of the meetings so residents have an opportunity to be informed.
"I think if anything comes out of this weekend, people are concerned about their safety," she said.
New Jersey State Police NorthSTAR, a medical helicopter, airlifted Ms. Martinez-Torres to Helene Fuld Medical Center in Trenton.
The Fast Accident Collision Team assisted Lambertville Police, West Amwell Police and the prosecutor’s office at the accident scene. FACT officers receive advanced training in accident reconstruction and respond to serious accidents.