Elderly man crashes into and kills pedestrian in SLO

February 12, 2020

By CCT STAFF

An elderly driver struck and killed a 52-year-old man walking on Tank Farm Road in San Luis Obispo Tuesday night.

At about 10:25 p.m., a 76-year-old man was driving in the 200 block of Tank Farm Road when his vehicle struck the pedestrian, according to the San Luis Obispo Police Department.

Emergency personnel arrived at the scene and found the 52-year-old man lying in the roadway. First responders performed aid, but the victim died of his injuries.

Officers conducted a sobriety test on the driver and determined neither alcohol nor drugs factored into the collision.

Investigators are working on determining the cause of the crash. Police are asking anyone who witnessed the collision or has information about the incident to contact Officer Luca Bendetti at (805) 594-8060.

The police department is withholding the name of the victim until relatives have been notified.


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DWO


If Mayor Harmon could she would close Tank Farm and only allow bicycles and pedestrians, her goal is to get rid of all fossil fuel transportation.


That picture is at 215 Tank Farm looking east. That is the start/end of a sidewalk crowded with a fire hydrant, telephone poles, and a slough of business signs. At 10:30 pm that section of road is surely dark and the elevated shoulder would be hostile to pedestrians.


It’s getting more and more dangerous being a pedestrian (or bicyclist) around here. It seems everyday that I have a WTF moment with other drivers. With the aging population still driving, more people on cannabis, and people using their phones while driving, you’re taking you life in your hands walking, biking and driving.


People crossing streets, even in crosswalks, have to assume that the cars will not stop. And it’s too the point that you might want to walk on the side of the street where you are going against traffic so you can see what’s coming; unfortunately you cannot ride a bike against traffic (but I do understand the rationale).


When I was growing up we were taught to always walk facing the traffic. I guess somewhere along the way it became the notion that a pedestrian didn’t have any responsibility for their own safety. Go figure.


Tank Farm Road is a death-trap. Bicycles lanes are bad enough (especially when cyclists don’t adhere to single rider per lane), but there is virtually no provision for pedestrians. Considering the time and money SLO has poured into hiking and ‘bicycle friendly’ paths, pedestrian traffic has essentially been over looked where it is most important … adjacent to heavily traveled motorways.