By Lee Weyhrich
It has been almost eight weeks since Walter Smith, 59, and his son Noah, 2, were killed by a vehicle while crossing Highway 75 in Pinson. The father and son were leaving the last Pinson Valley High School football game of the year and had parked across the road.
“We’ll never know why they parked across the street,” Councilman Joe Cochran said.
Cochran was the first person to arrive at the scene that night. He is also the chair of the Public Safety Committee. He called local deputies and emergency services soon after arrival.
The council and local deputies have discussed methods for preventing such an accident in the future, but their hands are effectively tied by the state. Since this is a state highway, any changes will have to meet state approval.
The Alabama Department of Transportation is in the process of compiling in-depth reports regarding highway safety in that area, Cochran said
.
“The facts will come in,” he said. “In the meantime there are some additional parking considerations we can consider. What we don’t want to do is be knee-jerk about anything.”
Mayor Hoyt Sanders said the council was set to meet with ALDOT the first of the year to discuss what can be done. At that time, the council will discuss lighting and possible crosswalk considerations.
The council has until the start of the next football season to make a decision. Sanders hopes that by then a plan will be in place. In the meantime, he suggests people avoid crossing the highway if at all possible.
Sanders wants to assure everyone that the council is making every possible consideration for the safety of its residents.