Bicycle Austin forum

MichaelBluejay

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From: Austin, TX

Registered: 2008-05-26

Posts: 1,466

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1st person charged under Lisa Torry Smith act for killing ped in xwalk

"A man in Fort Bend County in Southeast Texas is going to be the first person prosecuted under a Texas law that hands down punishment for people who disregard pedestrian right-of-way at the crosswalk. The man, Bao Giang, will be prosecuted under the Lisa Torry Smith Act, more commonly known as the crosswalk law, after he was arrested Friday, September 22...Giang was charged for allegedly hitting Don Yeager at a crosswalk in a Fort Bend County subdivision while Yeager was walking his dog. Yeager was taken to the hospital where he later died.
Before, failing to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk wasn't illegal..."

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local … 391904.php

I'd wondered about this.  Was it truly not illegal to fail to yield to a ped in the crosswalk before the act?!  Hard to believe.