Campus Connection

Media Credit: WJZ Vehicle with a shattered windshield after striking a pedestrian on October 23, 2007.

Media Credit: WJZ Police respond after a pedestrian is struck on MLK Jr. Blvd.

On October 23, an employee of the School was fatally injured after being struck by a vehicle while crossing at the corner of Baltimore Street and Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Boulevard.  Over several weeks her condition deteriorated and she was moved to hospice on November 12, where she died the following day.

The victim, Marsha Callaway, is listed as a “Dental Assistant Program Specialist” in the UMB online directory and worked for the school for more than 20 years.  Condolences were expressed in an e-mail notice sent out throughout the dental school on the afternoon of November 13.  

The driver or drivers involved in the accident have not been identified, and the cause of the accident is unknown.

When contacted, University Police denied having any specific information regarding the cause of the accident and declined to comment citing that it falls in the jurisdiction of the Baltimore City Police.  

Many pedestrians who regularly cross Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard at Baltimore Street have expressed concern regarding the safety of this intersection.  During the day, it is heavily traversed by UMB students, faculty, and employees, particularly after the opening of the new BioPark buildings west of the Boulevard.  

In some instances, traffic from Baltimore Street making a left turn at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard fail to yield to pedestrians crossing at the north side of the intersection.  Furthermore, vehicles from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard making a right turn onto Baltimore Street on the south side of the intersection often neglect to slow down or yield to crossing pedestrians.  

Mark Saltis, a graduate student at the Biopark, has been active in communicating with city and state officials to improve pedestrian safety at the intersection after experiencing a near-accident himself.  Last year, the city installed a countdown walk signal at the intersection and repainted the street lines.  

However, Saltis contends that more needs to be done.  In e-mails with city officials, he has requested additional police enforcement, installation of a red light camera, timing modifications for a delayed green light, and a “no turn on red” sign at the intersection.  

“The tenants, employees and students of the Biopark and whoever from campus who crosses at this corner are putting themselves in grave danger each day,” said Saltis. “It’s the city’s duty to ensure the safety of its pedestrians and it’s high time they realize that.”

State officials initially studied a proposal for the construction of an elevated pedestrian crosswalk over Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, but those plans seem unlikely to garner state support.

Following the tragic accident on October 23, Saltis received a letter from the city announcing that it will install a “no turn on red” sign at the intersection.  The letter was dated November 2, 2007.

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