Ramapo Crackdown Aims To Cut Pedestrian Deaths, Injuries

RAMAPO, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Police in Ramapo have been cracking down on drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians.

Three people have been hit and killed by cars this year in the Rockland County town, and five pedestrians were struck in the span of a week, WCBS 880's Sean Adams reported

Police Officer Omar Olayan said cops have stepped up crosswalk stings using a plainclothes officer trying to cross the road.

"Cars were just going around him in the crosswalk," Olayan said. "They weren't stopping. And sometimes two, three cars in a row weren't stopping for him, and he was in the middle of the road. It was unsettling, to say the least."

Police issued 50 warnings to motorists in just two hours recently at Route 306 at Rita Avenue. Most drivers pleaded ignorance of the law, Olayan said.

Pedestrians, too, share responsibility. Police are rewarding children seen crossing roads safely or wearing bike helmets with coupons for treats at participating businesses such as 7-Eleven, McDonald's and Rockland Kosher.

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• Sean Adams