FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) \u2014 A 59-year-old Fort Myers man died after being hit by a car while trying to cross U.S. 41 in North Fort Myers Friday night, prompting people who live and work nearby to talk about what they see while traveling the busy roadway.<\/p>\n
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash happened around 8:52 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, near southbound U.S. 41 and Judd Road.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Troopers said a 17-year-old Cape Coral girl was driving a 2015 Ford Focus south on U.S. 41 in the outside lane and approaching Judd Road.<\/p>\n
\u00a0At the same time, investigators said the 59-year-old pedestrian was attempting to cross the southbound lanes of U.S. 41 from Judd Road, directly in front of the approaching car.<\/p>\n
\u00a0The driver hit the pedestrian, according to FHP. The man was critically injured and taken to an area hospital, where he later died. The teenage driver was not injured.<\/p>\n
\u00a0FHP has not released the name of the man who died. The crash remains under investigation.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Worker near crash scene concerned about pedestrians crossing U.S. 41<\/p>\n
\u00a0The fatal crash has people who spend time along this stretch of U.S. 41 talking about what it is like for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists navigating the area.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Lori Nichols works about a block from where the crash happened and has worked in the area for about a year. She described traffic along U.S. 41 as busy and fast-moving.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cIt’s high, high traffic. Very fast,\u201d Nichols said. \u201cYou know, pedestrians and cyclists trying to cross, it becomes a major problem. There’s no crosswalks anywhere nearby, so someone trying to cross the street is in imminent danger.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0Nichols said she would like to see additional designated pedestrian crossings in the area, pointing to crosswalks with flashing lights she has seen in other communities as one possible safety measure.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cI believe they should make crosswalks,\u201d Nichols said. \u201cSomething like that, I believe, would help with the situation, so people could cross safely because this is a very high traffic road.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0FHP has not said that the lack of a crosswalk contributed to Friday’s crash.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Residents describe different experiences with traffic<\/p>\n
\u00a0Not everyone who spoke with WINK News described the traffic conditions the same way.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Ellie Spurlock, who said she has lived in the North Fort Myers area for most of her life, described traffic as generally manageable. She said that since much of the construction work has been completed, traffic typically maintains a steady flow unless there is a crash or another disruption.<\/p>\n
\u00a0Spurlock also said she believes she has seen a decrease in crashes in the area recently, offering a different perspective from Nichols’ concerns about pedestrians trying to cross U.S. 41.<\/p>\n
\u00a0For Nichols, however, Friday night’s crash was about more than traffic.<\/p>\n
\u00a0She expressed sympathy for the family of the man who died and for the 17-year-old driver involved.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cI think it’s very sad that the 17-year-old girl is gonna, you know, carry this the rest of her life,\u201d Nichols said. \u201cI think it will scar her forever. More importantly, the loss of the, you know, the family that lost their family member.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0Nichols said her heart goes out to both families as they deal with the aftermath of the fatal crash.<\/p>\n
\u00a0The Florida Highway Patrol continues to investigate what led up to the collision.<\/p>\n