I-Team: Car vs. pedestrian accidents

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - We've all seen people do it and may even be guilty of doing it ourselves, we're talking about jaywalking.

It can be dangerous and has proven this year, even deadly at times.

There are a lot of busy streets in Western Mass and according to police, both walkers and drivers need to start paying better attention.

It's likely you've been there, driving down the street when someone darts across the road, dodging cars, to get to the other side.

It's a scenario that can be a nightmare for everyone involved.

"I just wish people would realize the danger they're putting themselves in," said Andrea Driscoll, Springfield.

Police in East Longmeadow say North Main Street has been a dangerous spot there, Riverdale Street in West Springfield is another hot spot, and both State Street and Sumner Avenue have proved to be problem spots in Springfield.

The 22News I-Team set-up cameras along some of those streets and one after another, captured a number of close-calls.

Some involving children, although we found not all moms are willing to talk about their decision to cross while other moms say it's the only choice they have.

"There's not enough cross-walks, it's not fair for the people. So sometimes I do it myself. Yeah, you have to, you just have to be careful," said Ruth Cortes, Springfield.

Car vs. pedestrian accidents were recently thrust into the spotlight when 19-year-old Ashley Ballester was killed while crossing Sumner Avenue in Springfield with her baby.

Springfield police officer Lawrence Akers says the streets are becoming dangerous for everyone.

"People really aren't paying attention the way that they should," Akers said.

We all know there are penalties for distracted driving, but not everyone knows jaywalking is illegal too. It's just not always enforced.

In cities like Greenfield and Northampton, you could be slapped with a 20-25 dollar fine. Here in Springfield, there's an ordinance that hasn't been updated since the 1800s, the fine for jaywalking is $1.00.

Lawrence says there are fines for drivers who hit pedestrians in crosswalks, but when accidents happen outside of the white lines, it could be anyone's fault.

"There's cause on both parts, you see everyday, people walking right out into traffic, walking and texting on their phone or talking on their cell phone, you see motorists driving down the street, they're on the phone," Akers added.

The fine for hitting someone in a crosswalk is about $200 dollars.