Pedestrian struck in crosswalk transported to hospital

1 min read

WEST FARMINGTON – A local woman was transported to Franklin Memorial Hospital this morning after she was struck by a pickup truck while crossing Oakes Street.

According to Farmington Police Detective Darin Gilbert, Deedra Doiron, 31 of West Farmington, was walking across the Oakes Street crosswalk near the four-way intersection beside Madore’s Market at approximately 9:30 a.m. this morning when she was struck by a 2007 Chevrolet 2500 Silverado. The operator of the truck, Toby Hellgren, 64 of Temple, turned off the Temple Road and onto Oakes Street and didn’t see Doiron, Gilbert said.

In addition to Gilbert, Farmington Fire Rescue and NorthStar EMS responded. Doiron broke an arm and a bone in her back as a result of being struck. She was transported to Franklin Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Hellgren was issued a traffic violation by Gilbert for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

20 Comments

  1. Boy, the vehicles by Mc Donalds seldom stop, wish the officers could monitor that spot, but that is unusual to not s top on Madores corner. Hope she is going to be ok.

  2. NOT STOPPING FOR PEDESTRIANS IN CROSS-WALKS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM IN FARMINGTON. ANOTHER BAD SPOT AT INTERSECTION OF MAPLE AVE AND HIGH STREET. I WALK OFTEN IN THAT AREA AND HAVE BEEN HALF-WAY ACROSS AND CARS DON’T STOP, JUST GO RIGHT ON BY YOU. HAVE HAD CLOSE CALLS THERE. NEVER SEE A POLICE THERE.

  3. Using all caps impresses no one. I’ll bet if the many (way too many!) crosswalks by umf were monitored one would be surprised there aren’t more pedestrians hit. Many feel if they start the lights blinking they are automatically invincible and just walk into traffic without making eye contact. Many young adults in their pajamas amble across the street looking at their phones, often a few yards from the crosswalk. Meanwhile the lady in her 80’s hurries a fast as possible to get off the street….

  4. The crosswalk by Dr. Knapps is also pretty scary. I’ve noticed it’s also pretty scary trying to stop for people. You wonder if the guy behind you is going to rear end you!

  5. Just because you are on a crosswalk, does not mean a driver can see you!! Walkers need to be as cautious as drivers! In the evening, when a person is wearing dark clothing, it is almost impossible to see them entering the streets!!

  6. ive lived in farmington for 6 years. ive seen this girl walk around multiple times with her children. she doesn’t just walk out in the road. she always has looked both ways. but farmington is also such a busy college town. and some people don’t understand that when a car is coming you cant just walk out from behind a vehicle and not exept to have a close call. i have almost hit multiple college students because they will come out of no where and walk right out into the road. but this women was in the cross walk, not like she jumped out in front of the vehicle on purpose. It was just an accident, things happen. she wasn’t in the wrong, and neither was the old man. Be different if the driver was drinking or on his phone or speeding. but none of that was going on. I hope she ends up alright so she can go home to her babies. Feel better Deedra !

  7. Captain Planet, very frustrating. I wouldn’t want to stare at my phone and walk out in front of a logging truck or Poland Spring driver….

  8. It’s a two way street people. Pedestrians need to make eye contact with drivers and acknowledge that they have been seen before marching into a busy intersection. Mr. Helgren is one of the nicest people that I know from Temple and he works incredibly hard. Being negligent to his driving is just not Toby. I’m sure he is terribly disheartened by the accident.

  9. Sorry to hear about the lady who was injured. Not throwing any blame out there because it’s hard to know the circumstances from where I sit. Of course the driver was issued a traffic violation because the law now puts all the responsibility on the driver and none on the pedestrian as long as they are in a crosswalk. From my perspective the changes to this law were ill conceived. The pedestrian should bare as much responsibility to prudently cross the road as the motorist does to be considerate and stop to let them cross, unless of course they have to jump on their brakes to do so. Wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve witnessed people use the crosswalks in such a way that causes near misses or even accidents. It’s become ridiculous. While I’m at it I’ll also share another pet peeve I have. That’s when motorists stop to allow pedestrians that aren’t in or near a crosswalk to cross the road. People might think you’re doing them a favor but their actions are foolish. The cars following them aren’t expecting them to stop so that’s a good way to get rear ended. Traffic coming the other way isn’t expecting them to stop either so they could very well be setting the pedestrian up to be hit if they cross without paying careful attention. Be safe out there.

  10. I would rather be rear ended than hit someone in a crosswalk. Most people do not pay attention to the crosswalks, and that is just not the walkers that do not pay attention. If drivers would keep their faces out of their phones and other distracting things there would be less issues as well. It is time that everyone stood up and took responsibility for themselves.

  11. @Mayflower- Are you blind? There is always police officers up and down Maple Ave/ High street. Just being at the right place at the right time. But good place to file a complaint, on a small town newspaper comments section.

  12. I try to stop for the pedestrians in any crosswalk but the people that just cross where ever they please and expect you to stop are the ones that bother me. There are crosswalks for a reason. Some just pop out behind cars and expect that you see them and keep going. I feel they should be ticketed or at least warned for not obeying these rules of the road.

  13. What Just Saying was saying. But, I had an issue the other day with someone Jaywalking Oakes, and they were in shadow and i was coming up oakes and almonst iddn’t see. More common, though, downtown, where you often see people step out without looking to see if you see them. Going around a corner, his peripheral visin may be impaired.

  14. On Main st, if they are standing in the crosswalk in front of the cars, I stop, if they are by the cars but on the sidewalk I don’t stop. If they are not in a crosswalk, they cross at their own peril.

  15. @Ann..If you cross other than on the crosswalk..it is call jay-walking..and in most towns you can receive a ticket..
    It creates a dangerous situation for both driver and pedestrians.

  16. @‘c’ If you think Mr. Hellgren is an old man than you must be a young punk!

  17. If he was turning right, that lady was already more than half way across the street. He wasn’t even there when she started. He looked up at Town Farm Road, saw nothing, and rolled around the corner right into her. I walk this section all the time, and I observe this type of driving every day. The officer knew what he was doing.

  18. Being on the crosswalk doesn’t make you any less dead! Whether you’re there or driving, everyone needs to pay attention. I’m sorry for both people involved in the accident in West Farmington. I remember one day, I was turning left onto Main St. in Farmington at the lights. I almost hit a man walking his dog. He stayed in perfect alignment with the blind spot next to the windshield! He was mad, and I felt bad! We both ended it safely though.

  19. Terri you are absolutely correct about the blind spot next to the windshield. If everything is all lined up by chance it is a safety issue. I’m sure Toby wasn’t driving around collecting points.

  20. These newer vehicles have such honking big mirrors and window partitions that creates big blind spots. I’ve never run into anyone but have come very close because of this. Now I take annoyingly (to those behind me) extra time when turning and look over and around the mirrors. Wish this problem would be corrected in the vehicle designs.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.