‘Hard to believe’: Hamilton councillor calls for probe into intersection where scooter driver was struck, killed

Hamilton councillor Nrinder Nann is calling for an immediate probe into safety conditions at an intersection where a scooter driver was struck and killed by a dump truck Thursday.

Police have ruled out speed and impairment as contributing factors in the death of the 65-year-old man, who was hit on a mobility scooter while using a crosswalk at Wellington and Barton streets just after 8 a.m.

As of Friday, investigators had yet to disclose a cause in the crash.

But Nann said the traffic fatality - the city's 13th of the year - raises broader questions about road safety and controversial truck routes across Hamilton.

It's hard to believe," Nann said of the collision. You have to be a really negligent driver to have not known that somebody was going across the street. Like, what the heck was going on?"

Nann said the intersection - which sits right next to Hamilton General Hospital - has long been a pointed concern for Ward 3 residents who feel it's unsafe and not conducive to transport trucks. With four southbound lanes on Wellington, she said the road creates an environment for vehicles to freely weave and speed.

That's the number one concern I'm hearing," said Nann. The speed at which people feel they're able to go because of the number of lanes going in one direction. The design of the intersection doesn't feel like it's designed for pedestrians."

In recent years, the city installed ladder crosswalks at the intersection to enhance road visibility - but that hasn't mended residents' concerns, said Nann.

Pedestrians feel that drivers neglect the intersection, don't pay attention and are not looking out for them."

The death comes amid a city review of industrial truck routes in Hamilton. A city consultant's preliminary route proposal suggested rig traffic be banned on most city streets through the core - but only at night, between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.

The Hamilton cycling advisory committee is expected to make a presentation to the city's public works committee on the issue Monday.

Nann said she's flagged the Wellington and Barton intersection to the truck route subcommittee multiple times, and requested a meeting with staff Thursday to review recommendations laid out in the truck route master plan.

What I've heard very clearly from Ward 3 residents is they don't want trucks in the lower city anymore, they don't want trucks going through their neighbourhood," she said. Families and young children who have to walk on those streets feel very strongly that this council needs to listen to them and ensure the roadways are safe."

Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com