Pedestrians ticketed after being hit by car

The two were cited for failing to yield the right of way while not being in a crosswalk.

Two town residents who suffered minor injuries when stuck by a car Christmas Eve on Market Street were ticketed for jaywalking, town police said Wednesday.

Jonathan Swart, 20, and Diane Swart, 57, both of Route 212, were struck by a southbound 2005 Chrysler sedan after stepping off a curb and into traffic, the Saugerties Police Department said. Police said the two were cited for the violation of failing to yield right of way while not being in a crosswalk.

Police said the Swarts were treated at the scene by members of the Diaz Ambulance squad and then taken to HealthAlliance Hospital’s Broadway Campus in Kingston with minor injuries.

In the wake of numerous car-pedestrian accidents, Saugerties police have been vigilant in recent years about enforcing rules for crossing local streets — ticketing drivers who don’t yield to pedestrians but also pedestrians who cross illegally.

“Pedestrians in the crosswalk have the right of way,” the police department said in a Wednesday press release. “Other than in a crosswalk, pedestrians must yield to all motor vehicles before attempting to cross any roadway. Where crosswalks exist, pedestrians are required by law to use the crosswalk.”

Police said eight pedestrians have been struck by vehicles in Saugerties this year and that pedestrian safety again will be a law-enforcement priority in 2020.