(PORTLAND, Maine) Nov. 8, 2021 – A 68-year-old Portland resident was hit and killed by a driver while walking on Commercial Street Sunday morning.
The crash occurred on the western end of the waterfront thoroughfare, near the Casco Bay Bridge overpass. The victim has not yet been identified.
“We are dismayed to learn of yet another pedestrian death on our roadways,” said Bicycle Coalition of Maine Executive Director Jean Sideris, who notes that this is the sixteenth pedestrian fatality in Maine this year. Ten pedestrians were killed on Maine roadways in all of 2020.
“Nearly every crash this year took place in the evening or early morning hours,” Sideris said. “As the days continue to get shorter, it is especially important for drivers to be on the lookout for pedestrians and people on bikes, and we urge all vulnerable users to take extra precautions to make themselves visible.”
The motorist, a 51-year-old from Liverton Falls, has not been named by authorities.
Police in Portland are asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash, or has relevant information, to call 207-874-8532 or 207-874-8575.
The BCM encourages law enforcement to carefully investigate and examine the roadway conditions, pedestrian facilities, history of crashes at this location, driver behavior, and any additional circumstances that may have been contributing factors.
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The Bicycle Coalition of Maine is the statewide voice of cyclists and pedestrians. Since 1992, the BCM has led the effort to make Maine better for bicycling and walking by protecting the rights and safety of cyclists and pedestrians through education, advocacy, legislation, and encouragement. We support biking and walking for health, transportation, and recreation. For more information, visit bikemaine.org.