Protest calls for changes at MUN campus crosswalk

A Memorial University student who was hit by a car at a crosswalk on the St. John's campus last year is calling for safety improvements in the area.

Bailey Oake, 24, was struck about a year ago at the notoriously busy intersection on Westerland Road between the Aquarena and the Field House.

The impact left her with three broken vertebrae, and she narrowly missed becoming paralyzed.

Oake said her injuries went beyond physical.

"It's changed me emotionally too," she said. "It forces one to look at everything in their life and re-evaluate what's important and what's not."

About 50 faculty members and students were at a protest at the crosswalk on Tuesday to lobby for increased safety measures.

They're looking for better lighting and speed bumps in the area to make it safer for pedestrians.

"Pedestrian-vehicle accidents are an issue on campus, and we want the City of St. John's to make some commitment to changing that," said Dan Campbell, a director with MUN's students union.

The protesters said speeding and careless drivers can be a problem, but others said pedestrians have to take some responsibility, too.

"What I find is pedestrians sometimes, they just keep walking, and it gets pretty hairy sometimes," said Shane Card.

"I've seen some cars stop pretty quick there because [they] don't think they see people coming from either side sometimes."