Crosswalk Accident Follow Up: Interview with Dr. Gregerson

Following the accident on Nov. 14, the Insider sat down with Pitt-Greensburg president, Dr. Robert Gregerson, for an update on the student’s situation.

“It’s a horrible tragedy and I know the family is experiencing emotions that we can’t imagine,” Dr. Gregerson said. “I did meet a couple of times with the family – they’re very nice people. They’re just totally concentrated on their daughter. She was in a medically-induced coma. 

“I don’t know if she remains in that state or if they’ve woken her up or what has happened there. An awful lot of people on this campus and beyond care about her and they have a GoFundMe page a friend of hers set up and hopefully that will defray some of the costs of the parents being off work and traveling and having to eat meals out every day. I’m really happy that her friend did that. It’s a small thing but it can be very helpful.”

Since the accident, many students have been asking for a change due to the unsafe walking conditions from the main part of campus to University Courts, Mount Pleasant Road, and especially that crosswalk. Dr. Gregerson said that Joe Bleehash, director of facilities and operations, has been in almost constant conversations with Westmoreland County officials. 

“Westmoreland County owns the road, the crosswalk, the crosswalk signs, and the light poles. We have to work through them to get any changes made,” Dr. Gregerson said. “Those conversations started the next morning after the terrible accident. A number of things have been discussed, all of which are in the county’s bailiwick.”

This doesn’t mean Pitt-Greensburg is helpless to make changes regarding safety. 

“The one thing we could do right away,  which we did, was increase patrol presence out at the front of campus just to try to slow cars down if nothing else. I think hopefully that will make people be a little safer crossing the crosswalk there. We have had a little bit more of a police presence out front and our police do have jurisdiction off of campus within a certain radius so they can be out there sitting at the entrance. We know that not everybody obeys the speed limit and decreasing speed is part of a safety response.” 

While Pitt-Greensburg doesn’t have the authority to decrease the posted speed limit or put up more streetlights–that falls under the county’s jurisdiction–Dr. Gregerson said the campus is considering other lighting enhancements, including some increase in the crosswalk specific lighting. 

“We want the crosswalk to be safer. Nothing in this world is ever perfectly safe because we’re all human and we make mistakes, whether it’s drivers or walkers or motorcyclists,” Dr. Gregerson said. “Nothing’s ever 100% safe, but it’s got to be as safe as it can possibly be. That’s what we’re looking for.”

For now, the accident has taken its own personal toll on students, faculty, and staff on campus, causing even Dr. Gregerson himself to reevaluate everyday things he takes for granted.

“I’ll be honest with you, since that accident every time I’m driving somewhere, I have paid really close attention to crosswalks in a way that I never have before,” Dr. Gregerson said. “I hate that it takes something like that to really open your eyes and make you more aware. But that’s the way humans work. I’m watching as I’m coming into work, I’m looking at the crosswalk asking myself – what are they doing there, is somebody running across against the red light, are they walking down across the bridge the way they’re not supposed to? 

“But not just there – everywhere. I’ve never been in any kind of pedestrian type of accident or come close to that. But, boy, it sure makes you think about it.”

Until Westmoreland County and Pitt-Greensburg come to a mutual decision on increasing safety measures, students should continue to keep a close eye out and pay attention to their surroundings.

“I just want to emphasize as strongly as I can for students to obey the crosswalk,” Dr. Gregerson said. “Be as careful as you can. Don’t make any assumptions. I know there’s a lag between the time you push the button and the time the light turns red for this Mount Pleasant Road. Be patient. An extra few seconds isn’t gonna make the difference between you getting one grade in the class versus another grade because maybe you’re a minute late. That brief period of time could make a difference in your physical health and life. That’s way more important. 

“I just urge everybody to be patient, take their time crossing when the crosswalk light is lit. Just be aware of your own personal safety and surroundings in all cases, not just this case, but in all cases, I think the first order of a university is to keep everyone on it safe. We’ve owned those court buildings since 1982. This is the first accident like this that’s happened. It’s a very rare event, but even one event is one too many. It just takes a brief second of sort of a lapse of concentration, to be in an accident and I don’t want to ever see anything like this happen again.”