PARSONS, Tenn. (WTVF) — A year after a pedestrian accident at Main Street and Tennessee Avenue in Parsons, Jerry Evans still still cannot bring himself to cross there.
"There is still that fear that cars won't stop and I would be the next one hit," Jerry said.
The intersection has been a source of concern for Jerry even before a car hit his brother Victor last August as he walked across Main Street.
"From here down to First Baptist, it's always been dangerous in my opinion," Jerry said.
Jerry described how some drivers approach the intersection, "Really loud, almost can say gunning it," or "putting the pedal to the metal basically to speak."
That one day dramatically changed his brother's life.
"He can't walk long distances, which is something he loved to do," Jerry said.
Looking back a year later, Victor Evans still remembers parts of the accident clearly.
"I pressed the button to go across and when the white man pop up he told me to go on. I was in the two white lanes and the lady came around the corner and hit me. Some people said I went 10 feet up in the air and came crashing down, hit the ground," Victor said.
Before the accident, Victor didn't need a wheelchair and could walk as far as he wanted.
"People say let it go, but how can you let something go? It changes you," Victor said.
Victor explained that his lasting wounds extend beyond the physical injuries.
"I feel like a car coming in on me and I scream out, but there was nothing coming, there was nothing there," Victor said.
While Victor would love to resume his long walks again, he now relies on a wheelchair.
"Watch out for people," he warned.
Both brothers now avoid the busy intersection, wishing pedestrians felt safer crossing there.
"I believe they could pay a little more attention to the walkers," Jerry said.
Have you experienced safety concerns at crosswalks in your community? Share your story with Kim Rafferty at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com and help raise awareness about pedestrian safety in our neighborhoods.
This story was reported by Kim Rafferty and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Kim and our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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