Family of accident victim calls for crosswalk changes

The family of a man who died after being hit in a crosswalk Sunday evening says changes need to be made to improve safety for pedestrians.

Alan Carpenter, 68, died Monday after being hit at the corner of Albro Lake Road and Victoria Road.

The crosswalk is well marked and has lights pedestrians can activate to indicate they are crossing.Nonetheless there are frequent close calls.

But Carpenter's family says there isn't enough time to cross safely at the intersection.

"We counted five seconds," saidSamantha CoolenJones, Carpenter's niece, as she visited the scene. "It turned to the hand for us to stop and we were in the middle of the crosswalk. It has to be changed."

Coolen-Jones said her uncle was a careful pedestrian.

"It's not fair. Too many people are getting killed over stuff like this."

On Wednesday, the family left a cross and flowersat the intersection.

"He walked everywhere he went," said Carpenter's nephew, DJ Coolen. "He was always concerned about where he was at and what he was doing, it's tough."

The driver is a 60-year-old man from Dartmouth. He wasticketed with failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk and received a $687 fine.

Carpenter's brother-in-law, Dennis Coolen, said the family wants to focus on preventing future tragedies.

"He would not blame that person who hit him. He was that kind of a person. He would understand how accidents like that happen."

Carpenter hadcancer. His family never expected to lose him in such a sudden way, especially on Father's Day. Carpenter was married with three children and seven grandchildren.

"He was going to get his scratch ticket and he would be happy to go home to have his Father's Day dinner," said Coolen-Jones. "He didn't get to do that. His family is going to miss him."

The police said alcohol and speed were not factors in the crash. They're now inspecting the driver's vehicle, buttheysaid they do not expect to add additional charges.

The memorial service for Alan Carpenter is scheduled for Friday.