Investigation continuing into pedestrian fatality

SANDPOINT — Idaho State Police continued its investigation Friday into a traffic accident which claimed the life of a Sandpoint pedestrian.

Anthony James Joerger, 46, was fatally injured Thursday after being struck by a motorist while crossing Fifth Avenue at Cedar Street shortly after 5 p.m. Joerger died later that night at Bonner General Hospital, according to ISP.

Mark Harley McElroy, 49, of Athol, was westbound on Cedar and stopped at Fifth. State police said McElroy turned south on Fifth, but failed to see Joerger, who was crossing Fifth in a westbound direction.

McElroy’s Ford F-250 pickup truck hit Joerger, knocking him out of the crosswalk. Immediately after the incident, Trooper Kevin Bennett said it appeared Joerger was crossing Fifth with the crosswalk signal in his favor.

State police released no further information about the accident on Friday. Troopers were at the scene of the collision taking measurements. It remained unclear if criminal charges are being contemplated.

Mayor Gretchen Hellar said she received no further details about the accident on Friday.

“We really won’t know what was involved until that investigation is completed,” she said.

Joerger happened to be a member of the city’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations to the City Council on matters involving pedestrian infrastructure.

Hellar remembers Joerger as an enthusiastic member of the volunteer committee and said she is grateful for his efforts in trying to make the community safer for the walking set.

“Most people don’t want to spend the time and effort to get involved in the nitty-gritty and he did,” said Hellar.

Joerger was struck two blocks south of the site of another pedestrian fatality on Fifth Avenue in 2006. Mark Eugene Carter, 48, was hit by a sport utility vehicle as he used a crosswalk at Poplar Street.

Better lighting and crosswalk signs were installed following Carter’s death.

Hellar hopes the accident will serve as a catalyst which will bring further improvements to busy intersections and lessen the risks for pedestrians and motorists alike.

“What I’m hoping for — and I think Anthony would have hoped for, too — is that we use this horrible, horrible tragedy to take a look at what we can do to reduce the probability of this happening again,” Hellar said.