UPDATE - Pedestrian struck by vehicle

A 54-year-old man sustained minor injuries after he was struck by a truck as he tried crossing a street in the city's downtown area the afternoon of April 15.

The man was trying to cross North 2nd East Street at the cross walk around 1:30 p.m. when he was struck by a pick up truck that was turning left off East Jackson Street, according to Officer Melanie Broughton, a spokesperson with the Mountain Home Police Department.

City police temporarily rerouted traffic around the accident site as emergency crews attended to the victim, who was not identified. He was taken by ambulance to St. Luke's Elmore medical center in Mountain Home where he was treated and later released.

Investigators say the driver of the pickup remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. The driver was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

"We were very fortunate that this individual only had minor injuries from this incident," Broughton said.

The police spokesperson reminded local residents that it's the responsibility of both drivers and pedestrians to remain vigilant and take appropriate exercise safety precautions when dealing with crosswalks.

Broughton highlighted several safety reminders drivers and pedestrians should keep in mind to prevent similar incidents.

Driver safety responsibilities:

* Slow down near pedestrians.

* Yield to pedestrians when crossing a sidewalk or entering an alley driveway.

* Yield to pedestrians who have started crossing an intersection or crosswalk.

* Yield to pedestrians crossing the road within a marked or unmarked crosswalk.

* Watch for pedestrians when turning corners.

Pedestrian safety responsibilities:

* Never assume that crosswalks provide protection from all accidents.

* Yield to drivers when crossing a road where there is no intersection or crosswalk.

* Never step into the path of a closely approaching vehicle that doesn't have sufficient time to yield.

* Stop at the curb and look left, right and left again for traffic. Stopping at the curb signals drivers that a person intends to cross the road.

* Always obey traffic signals.

* Make eye contact with drivers before crossing. Never assume drivers can see pedestrians or they are paying attention.