A Manitoba man is speaking out about dash cam video he captured at a busy intersection in Selkirk which shows drivers failing to stop for a pedestrian attempting to use the designated crosswalk.
The intersection is located at Manitoba Ave. and Jemima St.
It’s an intersection Red River Messenger driver Rick Ritchie passes through daily in his flatbed truck.
What he saw Friday afternoon prompted him to put his truck in park, get out of the vehicle and help the pedestrian cross the street because no other drivers were stopping at the crosswalk to let her get across the road.
“I stopped. It’s a crosswalk. You have to stop,” said Ritchie. “I stopped a little farther back so people could see but, yeah, people, I guess, didn’t see.”
“I just started walking towards the woman and a car passed and I waved my arms at him. I was going to help her get across.”
Eventually Ritchie was able to help stop traffic allowing the woman to cross the road but the video shows cars maneuvering to get around him and his truck even once he exited the vehicle.
Ritchie’s manager posted the video on Facebook and it’s been shared hundreds of times.
Ritchie hopes the video and speaking out about the issue will raise awareness about crosswalk safety.
Selkirk RCMP Staff Sgt. Jared Hall said he’s aware of the video which he said raises safety concerns for pedestrians trying to cross the street and for Ritchie who got out of his vehicle to help the woman.
He said in light of the video officers will be stepping up patrols around the crosswalk.
Hall said he applauds Ritchie for his concern for the pedestrian but doesn’t recommend anyone else do the same thing.
The city of Selkirk said it’s been in contact with the province about repainting the lines at the crossing but a city official said that work has to wait until the weather warms up.
