California/Dakota crash followup: How the victim’s doing

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For those who have asked about the woman hurt when a car hit her as she walked across California SW at SW Dakota yesterday morning, friend Bob Carroll e-mailed this information:

As of this morning, her injuries include 2 broken legs (both may require surgery), fractures of the 4th and 5 th vertebrates, a broken clavicle, and a head injury. She had orthopedic surgery this morning, but I haven’t heard the outcome yet. She has been alert and talkative, and the informal feedback from nursing staff is that this is good sign.

This corresponds with information we obtained through the Fire Department, which transported the 53-year-old crash victim to the hospital. As we reported yesterday, it may be months before there is a decision on whether the 81-year-old driver will be cited.

RG-KOA January 13, 2010 (9:04 pm)

No comments indeed

jeannie January 14, 2010 (12:48 am)

Thank you for the update, Bob. I am so sorry to hear about this accident. I wish your friend the very best.

sacatosh January 14, 2010 (8:24 am)

OMG poor woman! Bob, please send her our love – I think I can speak on behalf of most of WS when I say that.

I also really hope it was due to poor visibility in the rain, and not due to someone being on the road long past when they should have stopped driving. Either way, I’d imagine the driver feels absolutely horrible.

Very sad all the way around. Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery!

Donuts for all January 14, 2010 (11:08 am)

Can we support our state’s revenue and help ensure public safety by requiring driver’s license tests and proof of ability to drive every 5 years instead of once only when we first get our licenses here in WA????

Please?

J January 14, 2010 (12:12 pm)

Just as a matter of curiosity and not as blame to either party: I’d love to know if the lady who was hit was using one of the flags at that crosswalk. If she wasn’t, was it because there were none available on her side, or for a different reason?

crosswalk? January 14, 2010 (2:23 pm)

It doesn’t look like there was a crosswalk there. Peds always have right of way but I jaywalking can cause accidents too. I am sorry for her injuries, awful.

WSB January 14, 2010 (2:34 pm)

There is a crosswalk and they do have flags. The angle in the photo I used for this (compared to the other ones we had in the original story) is looking down the street – to be blunt, the victim was hit and thrown, and so the cones are further down the road than where she was hit. Police said she WAS in the crosswalk. I have a mnemonic about the two spots with flags north and south of The Junction – both start with D’s – Dakota and Dawson. But I don’t know if they recovered a flag or not and since this is off to TCIS there’s little chance of getting a report to peruse for such details – tr

Ms Evelyn January 14, 2010 (6:49 pm)

This is such a sad story! Not only is that poor woman, who was hit, in for a long road to recovery but the person who hit her is no doubt feeling absolutely awful!!

Pedestrian’s & drivers need to do a better job of getting along on our streets! Remember what we teach our young kids about crossing streets? “Stop, Look & Listen!!”. This applies to peds & drivers!

All the best to your friend, Bob!

wseadawg January 14, 2010 (10:29 pm)

Ms Evelyn has it right. As this city grows and becomes ever more congested, with people, bikes, cars, trucks, scooters, and you-name-it, let this event and other tragedies like it remind us to be conscientious and aware of each other.

I’ve seen the holier-tha-thou comments from those perfect souls who never do anything wrong, and are oh-so-quick to judge and condemn either party, but fail to see beyond their own narcissism and sociopathic tendencies, especially throughout the blogosphere, but to what end? Honestly, what good does that do?

A fireman-motorcyclist I grew up shared his rule number one with me once, and I’ll never forget it: Don’t move an inch unless you have eye contact with the driver!

While its pure speculation as to whether it was had in this situation or not, I can attest to hundreds of crossings I’ve made at that spot where the first, second, third and fourth drivers just float on by as I stand there, flag in hand, holding my child’s hand, until somehow, miraculously, the fifth (or so) driver’s trance is broken and they stop for us to cross. I HOPE it’s my wide-eyed disapproving glare and gritted teeth that does it! Sometimes I’ll yell too!

I don’t mean to preach, but do hope that we all try harder to pay attention to what is going on around us, and pay better attention to our fellow souls on the roadways, whether walking, driving or otherwise.

Lets put an end to these tragedies.

WSratsinacage January 15, 2010 (1:18 pm)

Just wanted to add that in addition to looking out for pedestrians, look out for cars which are stopped for pedestrians! I’ve seen a number of cars rearended in West Seattle (all on CA Ave), myself included, who were obeying the law and were stopped for peds in a cross walk only to be rearended.

wseadawg January 15, 2010 (2:25 pm)

WSratsinacage: You probably saved the pedestrians life by taking the hit. What if the driver had swung around you, like I see happen in the junction all the time. About a month ago I watched an SPD officer in a cruiser do it while I stood there – stunned – in the cross walk. Obviously nobody’s perfect!

I. Ponder January 15, 2010 (3:08 pm)

Maybe a red flag is not enough. I bet they stop if you’re waving a big metal spike. Anything that could scratch the paint might get their attention. A red flag on a longer stick (5 ft.) might be something you could put in their way without putting your body at risk.

Sorry, comment time is over.