The victim of a hit-and-run driver Tuesday night is recovering, but said he would be doing even better if the driver of the vehicle that struck him would turn himself in to police.
“We don’t mean any ill will,” Juneau resident Manual Antonio Mendoza, 70, said. “We just want to believe in being human.”
Mendoza was struck in the 6500 block of Glacier Highway at about 11:10 p.m. after he had picked up his wife at Walmart. The elderly couple both work there, Mendoza has the morning shift, and his wife the evening shift.
“I always walk her home,” Mendoza said. “It is a nice time for us to have a walk together.”
According to a Juneau Police Department press release, Mendoza was crossing westbound just outside the crosswalk when he was struck by a sports utility vehicle traveling outbound on Glacier Highway.
A Walmart store video released to JPD and posted on their website shows the hit and run. The vehicle pauses momentarily after striking Mendoza and then speeds away. Witnesses also stated to the police the vehicle slowed after the collision and then accelerated rapidly away from the area.
“It was coming very fast,” Mendoza’s wife said. “I was able to get out of the way, maybe I am a little younger than my husband.”
She did not want to give her name for fear the driver may want to harm them, although she stated they did not recognize the vehicle.
“We don’t know where the driver may live,” she said. “He may live next to us. We are the victims. We don’t know what is in his mind.”
The impact grazed Mendoza and caused him to fall backward. He was taken to Bartlett Regional Hospital.
Mendoza has suffered what he explained as “a broken left arm and broken right leg.”
According to the victim he will miss approximately six weeks of work. His wife is currently on vacation leave to care for him but doesn’t know how much longer she can afford to do that.
“Walmart has been very good to us,” Mendoza said. “But the bills are going to pile up.”
The Mendozas have been in Juneau almost three years. Their families are in the Philippines.
“You must face the accident you did,” Mendoza’s wife stated to the driver of the vehicle that struck her husband. “We don’t want to be inhuman. Maybe you don’t want to be inhuman either. Don’t be afraid to talk to us, and everything will be OK. Lets talk.”
“We don’t think you did it intentionally,” added Mendoza.
JPD has several leads in the case and the investigation is ongoing. The video of the collision had more than 2,100 hits when it was first posted and numerous phone calls have come to the department with information on various colored vehicles matching the vehicle shown.
“At this point we are sifting through anything that came in and trying to see if there is something substantive that we can work off of,” JPD Sgt. David Wrightson said.
Anyone with information on the accident is encouraged to contact the JPD at 586-0600. the videos may be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpTmZsLcMoU and www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxvXrq-UtJ8.
• Contact reporter Klas Stolpe at 523-2263 or at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
Comments (15)
Add commentHit & Run
Mr. Mendoza,
You are correct the "right" thing to do would be to turn yourself in. I too was hit by a car in a crosswalk on 5/25/2011. Even if the driver turns themself in there is not much that the Juneau Police Department will do to prosecute this individual as they are probably an upstanding citizen with integrity. I was told that Juneau just ain't what it use to be. I'm a small town girl. Who is honest, caring, and would have made certain that the pedistrian was assisted to the hospital or would have called the police. Even with a license plate number my driver will go uncited. My heart goes out to you and your wife...
Hit An Run
Relieved that this couple were not seriously hurt, terrible that some drivers take no responsibility for their actions, maybe with the tape they will catch the person, accidents can happen, mistakes can happen, but to not stop and aid a person you hit for whatever reason, is just wrong, a person needs to pay for that and learn a lesson from that.
Need a crossing light at WalMart
So many people cross the road there that a simple crosswalk probably isn't enough. It would be great if there were a lighted crosswalk like at Douglas Breeze-In and Rotary Park.
Hit And Run
I'm also relieved to hear that the couple are alive and well. They sound very kind-hearted and seek no "revenge". The driver is very lucky that no one was seriously injured. They need to own up to their actions, hiding will not make it easier on them in the end.
"How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours"
-N.Islander
City Dept
Also forgot to include in my last post...
How many more incidents is it going to take to put up a safe cross walk for that certain area?
It's obvious that there is a need for a safer pedestrian crossing. This has been an issue for too long, wake up!
-N.Islander
Average Joe, Did you miss the
Average Joe, Did you miss the part that says they were crossing outside the crosswalk? I agree that drivers in Juneau largely ignore crosswalks unless they are blatant in your face, but unfortunaltely, so do pedestrians. Certainly doesnt excuse the person for the hit and run, but people need to use the dang crosswalks.
Crosswalk planned
DOT is planning to install a crosswalk and pedestrian refuge (island) this summer. See page 44 of this:
http://www.dot.state.ak.us/stwdplng/projectinfo/ser/PROJECT_STATUS/Asset...
It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing - if pedestrians use it.
I feel for the victims but
I feel for the victims but there is a stop light really close. Use that?
I feel bad for the victims
I feel bad for the victims and hope the driver is found and punished,but I also think alot of the people who cross that intersection need to pay more attention to their surroundings. I've driven by that area at night and have seen pedestrians dressed in all black crossing the street at night in areas far from street lights and I can see where it would be easy to miss someone walking across the road.
I am aware of the bus stop and that people are too lazy to use the cross walk (although I don't get why they removed the crosswalk from such a busy area to begin with) so I always look around to make sure there are no pedestrians,but others new to the area or careless drivers may not do the same. If you choose to cross a heavily trafficked area in the middle of the night you should use some common sense. You shouldn't expect everyone to see you,especially if you are dressed in dark clothing in the middle of the night.
agree with Midnightsun
I couldn't agree with Midnightsun more. I can't count how many times I have seen people crossing the road over by Wal-mart to get to the bus stop all dressed in black all times of the day and night and walking so slow like they have all day to do so. They do the same thing getting to the bus stop over at Fred Meyer over on the church side. There isn't a cross walk there either, but they doddle along as if there is a cross walk there. Very busy intersection, people turning into Fred Meyer, or going straight so they can get back onto Old Glacier Hwy either making a right or left. I can't believe someone hasn't been killed already at this one. There are bus stops on both sides of the road at this intersection. Why DOT or the city ( whoever plans these things) didn't have the brain cells to realize how badly a cross walk is needed here should have their head examined. It's an accident waiting to happen.
Cross Walks
What about the public who are using the designated crosswalks? Who are waiting for the driver to pay attention to the pedestrians on the side of the cross walks? Who have waited so long they were able to give an exact discription of the vehicle and individual?
right of way
small town girl- a pedestrian has the "right of way" in a designated crosswalk. I just look them dead in the eye when i step out, i have yet to have one not stop for me. But i never assume I have all day to do so either.
Manual
I worked with Manual for a brief time last month, also as a greeter, before a scheduling conflict with my other job forced me to quit. He would ALWAYS high-five me when I came on shift. He would ALWAYS have a joke and a smile. When children came in, he always treated them like his own and patted them on the head and gave them a Walmart Smiley Face sticker (the Walmart logo before they switched to that silly "spark" thing that doesn't look at all like a spark.)
I hope he recovers FAST. I know he is greatly missed there. If his friends or family see this, tell him Michael says, "Hello!"
=> Michael Haase, Juneau Alaska
Count this
Countthis, a pedestrian has the right of way at any intersection, marked crosswalk or not. Also, there will be a pedestrian refuge island put in at Fred Meyer, between the bus stops (including a marked crosswalk).
to small town girl
If you're referring to the incident by the bridge, the driver was not lingering at the corner but only checking for oncoming traffic AFTER having stopped and looked for pedestrians. While pedestrians have the right of way in cross walks, they also have the responsibility to be cautious when a car is in the turn lane they are about to cross into. I agree with 'right of way' that you should look the driver square in the eye before crossing. No driver wants to hit anyone but when all due caution was taken by the driver, the pedestrian must assume some of the responsibility.