Pedestrian found at fault in Carlisle crash [The Sentinel, Carlisle, Pa.]

Dec. 21--A Carlisle man hit while crossing South Hanover Street yesterday was found at fault for the crash, according to Carlisle police.

Police said two witnesses saw Donald Noone, 65, walk onto the street without checking the walk/don't walk signal or if it was even clear to cross at 5:38 p.m. Tuesday.

The witnesses also said that the light from South Hanover to Pomfret Street was green as Daniel L. Bowser, 26, of Carlisle slowed to make the right hand turn. The red "do not walk" signal was on and solid the entire time, both witnesses told police.

"Multiple independent witnesses told us that the Mr. Noone disobeyed the pedestrian signal," Carlisle police Lt. Dzezinski said. "As a result, he walked into the side of the moving minivan and was injured."

Police say Noone did not even break stride as he stepped onto the street and walked directly into the side of Bowser's minivan that was traveling at 3 mph.

Noone told police that he was walking on South Hanover Street when he got to the intersection with East Pomfret Street and he saw the pedestrian signal turn from the "red hand to the white person."

Noone also told police that he was in the cross walk when a vehicle hit him on his left side, according to police. Police said that while in the hospital, Noone didn't know what had happened but he heard people saying that he was hit by a car.

Noone was treated at Carlisle Regional Medical Center for minor scrapes and released.

Based on the witness accounts, police found Noone at fault and charged him with failing to obey a pedestrian signal.

Tuesday's crash is the second this month involving a pedestrian.

The other crash happened on West High Street when a Dickinson College student was crossing the street to catch up with friends on Dec. 15. She was not crossing at crosswalk when she was struck by a vehicle, according to police.

"This is the second pedestrian related accident that we've had in recent weeks and unfortunately, both of them could have been avoided," Dzezinski said. "In each case, the pedestrians were determined to be at fault. Fortunately, neither of them suffered life-threatening injuries."------

Posted at 9:54 p.m. Tuesday on Cumberlink:

A Carlisle man was in fair condition at Carlisle Regional Medical Center Tuesday night after being struck in the crosswalk between East Pomfret and South Hanover streets.

Donald Noone, 65, said he was crossing the street near the Salvation Army around 5:30 p.m. when the car struck him.

"I was crossing the street. The light turned to walk. The police said I didn't look, but I did. The driver said he was in the right and I was in the wrong, but I thought the pedestrian had the right-of-way no matter what, especially in the crosswalk," Noone said.

"I (was) in the hospital. They had to cut the clothes off my back to take the x-rays and the MRIs," he continued. "My fiancee and I are stuck here. I have no money in my pockets and how am I going to get out of here."

Noone said he and his fiancee were living in shelters at the Salvation Army and they had reserved beds there for Tuesday night.

Noone said he is not employed but is on Social Security. When asked if he has health insurance, he shouted, "Why should they have to pay? I didn't do anything wrong!"

"This guy hit me, we're stuck here and we have no way to get there," he added.

Priors

Noone has previously been arrested by Carlisle police for offenses including public drunkenness and harassment.

On Sept. 29, he was cited with harassment after police said he kissed a 21-year-old woman against her will a few days before.

The woman went to the station Sept. 29 to report that Noone had harassed her while they were both walking near Samuels Drive around midnight Sept. 27.

The woman told police at the time that Noone had been drinking and kept kissing her, ignoring her when she asked him to stop.

On Aug. 28, he was arrested for trying to steal a rack of ribs from Wal-Mart by concealing them down his pants. He had previously tried the same stunt at the Giant on Spring Garden Street on May 22.

Both times, Noone was found to be "highly intoxicated" when he tried to steal the meat, police said at the time.

The ribs Noone tried to hide in his pants in August were valued at $20.48, police said. The ribs from the May incident were worth $13.34.

Noone was charged with retail theft and public drunkenness, police said.

Prior to the May incident, Noone had been cited for public drunkenness five times since April. In both the May retail theft and August retail theft incidents he was also cited for public drunkenenss.

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