Last month a Rochester man was killed due to injuries sustained in an on-campus traffic accident.

He was jogging eastbound in the westbound lane of Pioneer Drive when a student driver in the westbound lane hit him. The man was rushed to a nearby hospital and was pronounced dead a few hours later.

The man, Perry Badia, left behind a 15-years-old and 12-years-old daughter. The student, whose name has yet to be released, may face some serious charges.

In the nearly 60 years OU has existed, Badia is possibly the first pedestrian death from a traffic accident the campus has seen, as reported by The Oakland Press.

It’s a large, sad milestone for the campus community, and that number will never go back down. If anything, it has the potential to rise.

While we don’t know much of the details behind this accident, many readers are quick to shame the driver. Here are a few comments from our Facebook page that were left under the story of Badia’s death:

“I truly hope this is a wake up call for everyone on Oakland’s campus. The way people drive around campus is NOT SAFE. It is seriously getting out of hand and now it has resulted in a death.”

“Can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost been killed in the parking lot. It’s a novelty when someone actually stops at a CROSSWALK and people whip by you on those, too.”

“I knew this would happen one day. People drive around campus like bats out of hell. This is tragic and easily could have been prevented.”

Most of these comments revolve around the unsafe driving practices on OU’s campus, and while we don’t contest that there are a plethora of horrible drivers on campus, we want to point something out: Drivers aren’t the only ones who can be unsafe.

From what we know, Badia was practicing safety while he was jogging. We have no idea what the driver was doing, and should not make judgements until we know the facts. Maybe the driver was being irresponsible, or maybe it truly was an accident. Whatever the case, a man is dead and a 25-year-old student’s life may be ruined over that death. Pointing fingers will do nothing.

We hear a lot about how to drive safe. We shame those who drive with phones and food and loud music (though many of us do it on a regular basis). We have this mindset that carelessness can only happen behind the wheel, but that’s not true. Carelessness is everywhere.

Anyone can be at the fault of an accident, and anyone can be the victim. The only sure way to minimize these accidents is to practice safety, no matter what end you are on.

There are bad drivers on campus, but there are also bad pedestrians. Instead of focusing on the bad driving habits on campus, we should expand our awareness and work to improve the safety habits on this campus as a whole.

If you’re walking on campus, be safe and considerate. Look both ways before crossing a street and give a clear indication that you are crossing. Make sure any coming drivers can see you before you cross in front of them. Even if you have the right of way, a driver might not see you, especially if you are not using designated crosswalks that drivers keep a more careful eye on. 

Don’t think you’ll be okay because you have the right of way or because the speed limit is low. Don’t think bad things can’t happen to you. Our rights are important, but our safety habits are even more so.

Whether you’re inside of or outside of the car, don’t think safety is overrated, because it can be the difference between living a full life and becoming the next headline.