Seymour police Tuesday released the name of a man hit by a car while crossing Route 67 last week.
Frank Creta, 54, is in stable condition with what police described as “non-life threatening” injuries.
Readers described Creta as a fixture in Seymour, often seen pushing his shopping cart while getting around downtown. Readers said he is disabled. He uses a grocery cart to help with mobility, and he was using it Friday at about 6:45 p.m. when he was hit by a car.
Police Tuesday also released the name of the driver in the accident — David Krajcik, of Seymour.
Many readers left prayers and wishes for Creta’s recovery on a post about the accident.
The initial post on the Valley Indy’s Facebook page reached 16,000 people, an indicator of the public’s interest in the man’s well being.
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Prayers
“Please pray for this man! He is part of our community,” wrote Marlene Pudim on Facebook. “A gentle soul that asks for nothing. Makes you think about what we should give thanks for and how fortunate we truly are.”
“I see this man every day walking around Seymour,” Cheryl Castaldo said. “I pray he will be OK, so very sad.”
“I always see him on my way to bringing the kids to school,” Gigi Matias said. “He always said hi when he recognized my car.”
Creta was seen often walking to and from Stop & Shop on Franklin Street, readers said.
“He shops in our store daily,” Stephanie Ungar wrote. “Nice man … always pleasant.”
Condition Unknown
Seymour police said Friday in a prepared statement that Creta suffered serious injuries when he was hit as he crossed Route 67 in the area of the Webster Bank.
He was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Police said Friday the accident was under investigation, and that cops were looking into whether lighting, the clothes the man was wearing at the time, “or if the narrowing of the roadways due to accumulated ice and snow” played a role.
The accident remained under investigation Tuesday.
Resident: Being A Pedestrian Isn’t Easy
Joseph Luciano, a resident of the Fallview Apartments on Deforest Street, said Creta lives on his own, in another apartment in the 72-unit complex.
“It’s very sad,” Luciano said. “He uses the cart because he needs support when he walks and he’s not able to use the sidewalks because he has difficulty lifting up his leg to step up just one step to the sidewalk.”
Luciano, who uses a wheelchair, has said the town should do more to make getting around safely easier for pedestrians and those with disabilities.
He said he’s had close calls himself on his travels.
“I keep count. I moved here in December 2011, and since then I’ve escaped getting hit by all sorts of vehicles six times,” Luciano said. “I sort of laugh it off and say I have three lives left.”
In response to Luciano’s past complaints, the town installed some new curb cuts around downtown, but he said they’re not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
When it snows, that just makes things worse, Luciano said. He called on the town to get tough with property owners when sidewalks aren’t cleared promptly, or when snow is thrown onto crosswalks.
Luciano said he’s seen the man crossing Route 67 in the area of Webster Bank before.
“I’ve seen him pushing his cart in the street there,” Luciano said. “You know why he’s pushing it in the street? Because he can’t get on the sidewalk. What a shame.”
The Valley Indy left a message seeking a response to Luciano’s comments with First Selectman Kurt Miller Monday.
