‘I threw on my brakes’: Columbus woman urges safety precautions after nearly hitting pedestrians

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - A Columbus woman urges people to use pedestrian safety precautions after she says she almost hit two women.

Corporal Robert Greene with the Columbus Police Department Bike Patrol Unit says the key to staying safe is pressing the button to use crosswalks.

“There was no indication, whatsoever, that they were in that walkway and that they were coming across,” said Laura Lowe. “They had neglected to push the button.”

Lowe says she was driving a passenger for Uber when she made a right on Reese Road - surprised to find two women walking across the walkway with no light signals to alert her.

“I almost hit them,” Low said. “I threw on my brakes and immediately looked through my rear view mirror because I was afraid the van behind me was going to hit me.”

Corporal Greene says walking trails don’t get a lot of attention during colder weather and drivers get used to riding past cross walks with no interruption. But he says sunny days and warm weather attract more people to the walking trails.

“People should know that they need to be aware that there are going to be more people there,” Green said. “So, if they are approaching in a vehicle, an intersection where the trail crosses at, slow down a little bit because it is going to be more and more people using that trail as it gets warmer, as it gets hotter.”

Greene says there are two main trails in Columbus, the RiverWalk and Fall Line Trace trail near PeachTree Mall.

He says while the RiverWalk trail is nonstop trail, the Fall Line Trace trail, which begins on 14th street is not. So, people need to be especially careful.

“If you get out there and you don’t activate that button, like I said, it’s like jumping out in front of a car,” said Greene.

Greene says in order to continue enjoying these trails make sure to take every safety precaution you can.

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