Police Offer Safety Tips After Deaths

3 Pedestrian Fatalities Equal 2007 County Total

In the wake of three pedestrian deaths this year, Howard County police are advising residents to take precautions.

"If you must walk on the side of the road, wear light or reflective clothing," said police spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn. "We want people to avoid being in roadways, to be mindful, to be careful."

Police are also advising pedestrians to walk in well-lit areas, against the flow of traffic.

All three victims were wearing dark clothing and walking in the evening or early morning when struck, investigators say.

None of the drivers has been charged in the accidents, which have brought this year's pedestrian death toll to the same number as last year's total.

"In 2007 we had three, including Corporal Scott Wheeler," said Llewellyn. Wheeler, a 31-year-old Howard police officer, was fatally injured in June while attempting to stop a driver for a speeding violation on Route 32.

In 2006, two pedestrians were killed, and four died in 2005, Lllewellyn said. In 2004, a bicyclist was killed, and in 2003, a pedestrian and a bicyclist died on county roads.

Early Feb. 6, Brinn Kenastian Green, 20, of Ellicott City was hit by a pickup as he walked on Route 108 in Ellicott City.

On the evening of Feb. 4, Brenda Nae Ruby, 45, of no fixed address, was fatally injured after she was struck by a sport-utility vehicle while walking on Route 175 in Jessup.

And on the evening of Jan. 6, Thomas William Beline, 93, of Columbia died after he was hit by a van while crossing at Cradlerock Way and Dockside Lane in Columbia.

In all three cases, the pedestrians were in the roadways when struck, Llewellyn said.

"It's critical that people not walk in the road," she said. "It's just not worth it."