В Рокки-Хилле обсуждают строительство тротуара на месте смертельного ДТП с пешеходом

ROCKY HILL - A sidewalk had been planned for the Rocky Hill street where a  pedestrian was killed when he was struck by a car over the weekend, and some are wondering whether it could have prevented the deadly incident.  Miguel Collado Almonte, 65, died after he was struck on Glastonbury Avenue around 8:40 p.m. Sunday. The driver, Sarah Bezdelovs, 23, head volleyball coach at Rocky Hill High School and owner of the nearby Ferry Grill & Chill, was charged with operating while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. She was placed on administrative leave, the superintendent of Rocky Hill Public Schools confirmed Monday; she could not be reached for comment. Mayor Allan Smith said he heard Bezdelovs was driving home at the time from her business on the east side of town, where the Rocky Hill ferry crosses the Connecticut River.  Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement She made headlines about four years ago when she bought the riverside eatery at the age of 18.  Collado Almonte also was known, especially in the area where he was struck. He often was seen pushing a shopping cart with bottles and cans in it. He was "super-friendly," Smith said. "He had some communication challenges. I believe he was hard of hearing, and I believe there were some language barriers." Smith said the state Department of Transportation has been working on a plan to build sidewalks on the street after the town identified Glastonbury Avenue, or Route 160, as a high priority for a pedestrian walkway. The sidewalks originally were supposed to be built in 2026 but the project was delayed, he said. Advertisement Advertisement Asked whether a sidewalk could have prevented Collado Almonte's death, Smith said he didn't know. "I don't know in this specific case if it would have prevented [his death], but it wouldn't hurt," the mayor said. "I don't know where he was in the street, but there's no sidewalk there," he said. "He's usually pushing a cart, and I feel confident saying that even if he was off the road as far as possible, he'd be partially in the lane of travel." A police spokesperson couldn't be reached for an update on what police may have learned as of Tuesday morning, but such investigations generally take months. A regional traffic team called the Midstate Accident Reconstruction Squad is investigating. Advertisement Advertisement One resident who sees the need for a sidewalk is Marjorie Ruschau of Rocky Hill, who runs on the road. Ruschau said Glastonbury Avenue carries a lot of traffic of all types. "It is heavily traveled by cars, bicycles, pedestrians. I've even seen a few pedestrians pushing walkers on that road," she said, adding that it's a common route for people headed to the Connecticut River. Asked whether she would run on the sidewalk when it's built, Ruschau said, "Oh, absolutely." Anyone with information about the car-pedestrian may contact Rocky Hill Police Officer Brian Carroll at 860-258-7640.   Sign up for the Connecticut Briefing from CT Insider. Get the biggest headlines of the day from our network of journalists around the state. This article originally published at Sidewalk in the works for scene of deadly pedestrian crash in Rocky Hill, mayor says.