On Saturday evening, two pedestrians in a crosswalk were hit by an automobile while crossing Stone Way at 41st Street. The pedestrians are a young married couple, Zach and Ashley Adair, who were on their way to a performance at Stone Soup Theater. They suffered multiple, significant injuries and were rushed to Harborview, where Zach is still recovering in the ICU. Ashley, despite receiving a head wound that required eight staples to close, has already been discharged. At home, she now uses a hospital bed to aid her recovery. If you’re in a similar situation, you might consider looking into home hospital beds to find wellness solutions for your loved ones.
According to their friend Zac Eckstein, the driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene and cooperated with the police. There was also at least one witness to the accident who stayed onsite and spoke to police.
Zach and Ashley, who are 28 and 26 years old respectively, will be unable to work for a yet-unknown amount of time. While they thankfully have health insurance, friends are anticipating that uncovered expenses and lost work will be a significant hardship for the couple. They have organized a fundraising website to help support Zach and Ashley during this time. Updates about their progress are also being posted. You can help support them in their recovery by donating at this website.
Additionally, local performance artist Jennifer Jasper is holding a fundraiser at the Jewelbox on Wednesday at 7:30 pm, featuring storytelling, dance, writing, music, and visual arts and more. Doors open at 7 pm. All tickets are $10. For more information visit her Facebook page.
That intersection at 41st and Stone, the site of several “crosswalk sting operations,” has been a problem for years. In 2005, a 12 year old Hamilton International Middle School student was hit by a driver who pulled around cars that had stopped so that the boy might cross. He survived, and his mother has been advocating tirelessly for pedestrian safety ever since.
Despite her efforts and NINE years of further accidents (including another one involving a pedestrian and a car in October), this crosswalk is no safer. SDOT put Stone Way on a “road diet” a few years back, reducing the number of lanes with the hopes that this would improve pedestrian safety. As the road did not get narrower, it seems like that was a bit of magical thinking. Visibility has not been improved and people are still getting hurt.
With many Hamilton students using that crosswalk, the Fremont Neighborhood Council has been petitioning SDOT to install a pedestrian-activated crossing light at that intersection. You can get behind this cause by contacting SDOT. While you are free to comment on this blog as much as you like in support of that idea, please remember that SDOT is NOT reading this blog. If you really want to support people like Zach and Ashley, and all of the other pedestrians who have been injured at this crossing, please take the time to actually contact SDOT and ask them for a pedestrian-activated crossing light at Stone Way North and North 41st Street. Enough is enough.
Goran Sparrman, Interim Director
Seattle Department of Transportation
PO Box 34996
Seattle, WA 98124-4996
SDOT Pedestrian Program
[email protected]
(206) 684-7583
Thanks for the story and I wish them both a full recovery. I live on this intersection and Stone Way is a bike/pedestrian nightmare during these dark and wet winter months.
It is a nightmare all over fo rdrivers .. many pedestrians are dressed in black, only black and not so easy to see. Those whose heads are stuck in phones and ears covered with earbuds make themselves a major risk.
Totally agree, as a driver as well I hate when a bicyclist doesn’t have bright lights or when pedestrians are wearing all black. I don’t think pedestrians think about the colors of their clothes and how safe they may be when getting dressed in the morning unfortunately.
Perhaps you should recast your thinking… “Driving in such a manner as to only be able to see pedestrians who are wearing bright clothes.”
That ought to rank up there with “I hit you because the sun was in my eyes.”
Slow down when it’s dark to a speed that lets see people. If you are stopped, and still can’t see people, stop driving after dark.
It’s a nice thought, but in a pedestrian’s head, it’s wishful thinking. A dark rainy night that’s cold enough the people’s glass is fogging up from the inside too, is not the best time for ninja pedestrians. Light colored outer garments don’t seem to be very fashionable, but they sure make sense in this situation.
“Don’t drive if can’t see out of your windshield” seems like it ought to be a low expectation to hit, but apparently that’s also wishful thinking…
Totally agree. As a close personal friend, who was up for nights in a row hoping my friends would recover this past week, I find the pedestrian blaming really insensitive, especially on this article. This crosswalk has been an issue on multiple occasions. This is a pedestrian crossing. Pedestrians cross here. The history of injuries here, speaks volumes to how this is not any one or two pedestrians fault, and that this issue needs to be looked into, and a solution needs to happen.
In this scenario, a car stopped for my friends, and another car instead of thinking “hey. they’re stopped at this pedestrian crosswalk, maybe there’s a pedestrian” illegally went around the car stopped for Z & A and hit them.
Drivers need to be aware, and realize that wherever you’re going, getting there five minutes early bc of the annoyance of a pedestrian crosswalk, is not worth two amazing young people’s lives (or any of the students who cross here frequently either).
I dont think there needs to be bike, car or pedestrian blaming. I’m sure the driver in this accident is mortified as well, and going through hell.
Instead of being at each other about who is wrong, everyone here should email SDOT to make this safer for EVERYONE involved. Drivers, bikers and pedestrians alike.
Wow. If that’s true, that the driver who hit this couple went around a stopped car, then the driver should serve jail time and pay compensatory damages.
This is exactly why Stone Way was rechannellized. Drivers were passing cars stopped for pedestrians, so a lane was removed and a turn lane installed.
The design of the road works just fine…when traffic laws aren’t broken.
Doug – the accident in 2005 was also a car pulling around a stopped car. People make mistakes…both drivers and pedestrians. A pedestrian activated light on this well used street would be one more help. The mother of the boy hit in the 2005 accident is still trying to get SDOT to hear her. She is also going to the Mayor’s office. We can all help by speaking up to SDOT.
My thinking is fine. I am pointing out that on dark corners and streest that drivers in cars cannot always see people well. Pedestrians have a responsibility to not walk in front of cars. yes, car drivers are supposed to stop – and I do.. however, some drivers do not see pedestrians and dont stop or sometimes another car is so close behind them they cant stop. WE ALL have responsibilities to look out on streets- especially when it is dark and there is little light. I go up and down Stone Way regularly. That stretch doesn’t have good light- which makes it riskier for pedestrians,
With change sin Wallyhood the open insults have been reduced greatly.. sorry you chose to take fire on me for pointing out that pedestrians have responsibilities as do car drivers.
That’s a good way to think about it. We’re really identifying three parties here – pedestrians, drivers, and the city – who each can take some responsibility for safe crossings. If they each do their part, there’s more slack for each of them to occasionally fail without tragic results. If it feels like anyone’s “blaming the victim”, I’m sure that’s not the intention.
The difference is that a careless pedestrian will only hurt themselves. A careless driver can do a lot more damage and should be held to a greater responsibility.
Held, by whom? In sentences using the word “responsibility”, the whole argument lies in how it’s phrased. You go ahead and hold people responsible, and see if it makes any difference. I’m talking about taking some responsibility to save my ass when I’m crossing the street, and maybe you doing likewise.
Who should hold drivers more responsible? 1) The state, in that right now, there is virtually no criminal penalty for killing a pedestrian, unless you are drunk, driving recklessly . If a driver kills a pedestrian or biker and they are disobeying the traffic rules (like passing a stopped car at a crosswalk or whatever) the driver should be criminally and civilly held accountable. 2) The city, we should be doing a lot more in how we build and police our roads to make walking and biking more safe, even if that means making driving less convenient.
My thinking is fine. I am pointing out that on dark corners and streest that drivers in cars cannot always see people well. Pedestrians have a responsibility to not walk in front of cars. yes, car drivers are supposed to stop – and I do.. however, some drivers do not see pedestrians and dont stop or sometimes another car is so close behind them they cant stop. WE ALL have responsibilities to look out on streets- especially when it is dark and there is little light. I go up and down Stone Way regularly. That stretch doesn’t have good light- which makes it riskier for pedestrians,
With change sin Wallyhood the open insults have been reduced greatly.. sorry you chose to take fire on me for pointing out that pedestrians have responsibilities as do car drivers.
The Wallingford Community Council has also contacted the city about this dangerous intersection. It’s way beyond time for this to be made safer.
Kimberly: Road diets work. They are not “magical thinking”. This one terrible incident aside, do you have any statistics showing that pedestrian safety has not improved since the Stone Way road diet was implemented?
@Doug I could do more research on raw numbers, but the accident in October and the accident this weekend were clearly not avoided by the road diet. I like the road diet for what it does to improve bike-ability but I fail to see how reconfiguring lanes alone would increase pedestrian safety. Visibility there sucks because of street parking. People speed down Stone and no road diet it going to fix that. I’d love to be convinced that road diets alone improve pedestrian safety (without the addition of a center bulb or a pedestrian-activated light or some other way to get cars to slow down/stop).
I cross at this intersection twice a day and haven’t noticed an improvement as a pedestrian. In fact, if a car occupies the turn lane in the middle, cars in the driving lane are unable to see a pedestrian in the crosswalk. I’ve almost gotten hit several times. Something needs to be done before someone gets killed. (As a driver, I love the road diet’s impact on Stone)
I could research the hard numbers, it’s true. But the accident in October and the accident this weekend were clearly not avoided by the road diet. I like the road diet for what it does to improve bike-ability but I fail to see how reconfiguring lanes alone would increase pedestrian safety. Visibility there sucks because of street parking. People speed down Stone and no road diet it going to fix that. I’d love to be convinced that road diets alone improve pedestrian safety (without the addition of a center bulb or a pedestrian-activated light or some other way to get cars to slow down/stop).
The road diet alone does improve pedestrian safety, because you’re not looking at 4 lanes of moving traffic any more – but it doesn’t make the road safe.
Stone N may be in a transition. WIth a couple thousand residential units going up, the traffic load is bound to rise significantly, and that will convert it to more of a N 45th style arterial where no one expects to go anywhere real fast. And more pedestrian traffic.
I cross Stone Way at N 41st frequently, and I have found the road diet to be a big help. It used to be that sometimes the car in the lane nearer the curb would stop for me, but the car in the middle lane didn’t. In fairness, a high, boxy vehicle in one lane sometimes would block the view from the other. The road diet, while not perfect, eliminates this.
I don’t think much good would come of installing more devices at this intersection. Devices are no substitute for responsible behavior, by drivers and pedestrians alike.
Though this latest incident occurred at night, this intersection is a big problem during the day as well, so improving lighting will do little to make it safer during daylight hours when children, commuters, workers and the rest of the community use the crosswalk. Installing a light (maybe not a stop light, but a least a blinking yellow light) so peds have a protected crossing and drivers have clear indication that the crosswalk is being used is a win for all. I believe in this latest incident, a light would have prevented this tragedy.
Sadly, there is a pervasive belief that cars have more of a right to the road and that it’s a pedestrians responsibility to get out of the way (or dress a certain way or enter the crosswalk in a particular manner). I’m not sure hoping for more responsible behavior is a viable solution.
I would like to withdraw my comment about better lighting being needed. I passed that intersection last night, and it is actually very well lit.
That said, the ongoing public concern is not who was more or less in the “right” in this particular case; that is to be worked out in court among the parties. The issue is what to do about this crosswalk going forward,
The fact is, there are a lot of distracted drivers out there, not to mention incompetent and reckless ones. There are also too many people walking around with their heads down, looking at their cell phones. Mind you, these are general observations; I’m not accusing anyone of anything in this particular case.
Another fact is, the laws of physics dictate that when car hits human, human loses.
While that puts a burden of responsibility on the driver, I think it’s perfectly reasonably to point out that, as a pedestrian, you simply can’t afford to ignore the facts listed above and rely on your legal or moral rights in the situation. Not if you want to survive. So getting on a soapbox about who’s more responsible is not helpful.
As my ex frequently used to tell me, you could be “dead right.”
I’m not absolutely against a flashing yellow light over this crosswalk, but I hope it doesn’t lull anyone into a false sense of security.
@Doug I could do more research on raw numbers, but the accident in October and the accident this weekend were clearly not avoided by the road diet. I like the road diet for what it does to improve bike-ability but I fail to see how reconfiguring lanes alone would increase pedestrian safety. Visibility there sucks because of street parking. People speed down Stone and no road diet it going to fix that. I’d love to be convinced that road diets alone improve pedestrian safety (without the addition of a center bulb or a pedestrian-activated light or some other way to get cars to slow down/stop).
I was at Irwin’s this morning, and in the 5 minutes I spent waiting for my coffee, I probably saw a dozen drivers zip by people waiting to cross the street at Corliss.
Stop for pedestrians at intersections. It’s the law: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/walk/laws.htm
Our prayers are with them. I’d hazard to guess that because this intersection takes a jog so is in essence two T-intersections drivers are less likely to notice the intersection and crosswalks. Pedestrians can do nothing but be extra cautious at this type of intersection.
It sounds like this occurred at 41st street, not at the bridge way/stone way/40th street intersection. There are many things the city could do to help drivers and pedestrians improve safety.
Agree with Kaydee – it does sound like the crosswalk at 41st and Stone, not the albeit challenging intersection at 40th and Stone.
N 41st takes a “jog” at Stone Way, but there is only one crosswalk.
Technically (and legally), there are 6 crosswalks, but only one is marked. Unfortunately, drivers & the city parking-markers treat T-intersections, or misaligned 4-ways (like this one) as not really existing, as far as getting across the road is concerned.
According to the dictionary, it’s a crosswalk only when marked. What I think you may mean is that there are 6 legal pedestrian crossings. I hope the crosswalks are painted where the city thinks it would be relatively safe to cross – i’m pretty sure a crosswalk does not add any real safety at all to a crossing.
South of N 40th, we have flags that you can carry across. Or had – been a while since I remember seeing any, but maybe there are still some left.
This is incorrect. From http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.04.160
RCW 46.04.160
Crosswalk.
“Crosswalk” means the portion of the roadway between the intersection area and a prolongation or connection of the farthest sidewalk line or in the event there are no sidewalks then between the intersection area and a line ten feet therefrom, except as modified by a marked crosswalk.
I just sent my request to SDOT for a traffic regulation system at this intersection. SDOT has many options for contacting and making requests. I choose [email protected]
Coincidentally, a friend of mine just posted this NYC link on my fB feed..
Seems the problem is bad (worse) everywhere these days..
http://gothamist.com/2014/01/14/video_drivers_break_the_law_at_scen.php
There was also a neighbor struck and injured in the crosswalk on October 10, 2013.
Just to clarify, this incident was mentioned in the article. Three people have been injured during the past four months. The Hamilton PTSA, Fremont Neighborhood Council and Wallingford Community Council all sent letters about the crosswalk last fall, asking for a pedestrian-operated light there.
With the road diet, and three lanes, does this mean a car “going around” a car stopped for a pedestrian in the main travel lane has to move into the middle turn lane to do so? Isn’t that illegal?
Tragic to hear of another pedestrian accident….. but this is a terrible location for a cross walk. At night it is poorly lit and the parking that borders it makes it almost impossible to see pedestrians
until they have stepped to the edge of the travel lane. I agree with
the idea that streets should be designed for everyone and that our
neighborhood should be safe to walk in, but when considering the city’s
limited budget, a practical and safer solution would be to remove this crosswalk and have pedestrians cross one block south at 40th, a
controlled intersection that is well lit.
I agree @disqus_MMvscJJZtb:disqus that makes sense theoretically. Unfortunately in practice, it seems more likely that some pedestrians who are in the habit of crossing there, or some who are in a particular hurry, would just try to dash across, only now without the meager protection of the existing crosswalk.
FWIW, Pedestrians have a legal right to safely cross with the right of way at (almost) any intersections, whether there’s a marked crosswalk or not. Their legal responsibility is to not “dart” in front of a vehicle making it impossible for that vehicle to stop. However, legally, any pedestrian ought to be able to stop at the curb, count to 5 or so, and start walking in complete safety.
Try this: when driving around, look at each corner (both sides, if it’s less than a 4-lane road), and ask yourself if you could have seen & stopped for a pedestrian waiting there. If you couldn’t, you are going too fast for the road, intersection, or conditions. I started doing this when driving, and basically concluded that pretty much all of Wallingford is a 20mph zone.
Better intersection design should serve to aid drivers, as it will allow them to travel at higher speeds, while preserving the safety & mobility of people on foot.
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All this said, that’s how the law says it ought to work, theoretically. In point of fact, when walking, people should be aggressive, yet cautious. In the same way that you “go” when the light turns green, but look out for somebody running the red, because, when it comes to crosswalks, it seems about 9/10 drivers run the red.
I don’t agree, because it lines up with the N. 41st footbridge over Aurora, and also the south end of Hamilton. People, including kids, prefer direct routes. This is the designated school crosswalk on Stone Way for kids coming from the west side of Stone Way. There is a significant number of kids going to school at Hamilton from the other side of Aurora.
I don’t agree either (with removing the crosswalk), because if you cross at N 40th there is a much greater risk from turning cars.
I posted comments and questions about this on SDOT’s “Ask Us A Question” blog (http://sdotblog.seattle.gov/ask-us-a-question/). I received an auto-response e-mail and they posted this on the blog:
“Thanks for your request. You will receive a direct response via email in 10 – 14 business days as your request involves a number of steps and staff hours including on-site field investigations, monitoring, data analysis, recommendation of solution options and evaluation by management. We appreciate your patience. For your future reference, the tracking number for your request is SR 14-00004741.”
Let’s hope some improvements are made asap.
The more of us that contact SDOT and the Mayor’s office, the greater chance of getting something done. While we wait, we can – as drivers take the route cautiously, and as pedestrians, consider putting some reflective tape on sleeves. As for me, I have a totally unfashionable (unless I was a ferry worker) bright orange jacket with silver reflective tape from Whistle Workwear, 😉
My dear Neighbors. I have read your posts. Many of them are distressing to me because the reality of pedestrian car injuries is visceral, not intellectual. I am the mother of the 11 year old boy hit in 2005. HIs name is Dominick. He played on two basketball teams and trained with Huskies Coach Romar. He was an Honor Roll student. He served at Hamilton Middle School as a Natural Helper. A peer counselor for other students. He was hit in this crosswalk after waiting for four cars to stop. He was thrown 68 feet onto his head. His new basketball shoes were found 50 feet away. Life support in Harborview. Months in Seattle Childrens. His future will never be that same. Still he is amazing working to recover. You speak of pedestrian responsibility. I am speechless. I have pleaded for a light here. It is a “designated school crosswalk”. It is the direct link to the 41st Street pedestrian overpass over Aurora connecting the students of elementary and middle schools in our neighborhoods. After the 2007 SDOT’s “road diet” solution, the Seattle Police sting operations have been issuing up to 40 tickets an hour for “failure to yield to pedestrians” here. Even intellectually speaking, it is clear that the “road diet: was not adequate as the sole solution. A light was needed for this crosswalk in addition. i am heartbroken that three more talented, beautiful people have been injured in this crosswalk. They all have suffered brain injuries. A pedestrian activated light costs $80 – 100K tops. A brain injury is for life and the costs are incalculable. We have hundreds of lovely students at Hamilton Middle School alone. I ask you personally, what would it take for you to insist that we protect this crossing for our citizens and our children? I would spare all from what Dominick, Ensol, Ashley, and Zach are experiencing. Heartbroken, Your Neighbor, Desiree Douglass 360-220-1422
i am guessing from some of these posts you will want to know why the pedestrian was not at fault. In Dominick’s case, It was 4:30 pm Tuesday May 24th, 2005, a bright and lovely day. D was walking the six blocks home from kayak after school program at Hamilton wearing normal clothing and no earbuds. Four driver witnesses said he made eye contact and waited while they stopped. Note to self: I cannot believe I am publically explaining this. There is nothing wild and nothing wonderful about ignorance. A fifth car passed the stopped cars in the middle lane and hit him, throwing Dominick first onto the windshield and the 68.5 feet forward onto the roadbed. This driving behavior is possible in the road design before and after the road diet. This crosswalk cannot be removed because it is the pedestrian link to the 41st Street pedestrian Aurora Overpass. Again, I ask, what would it take for you to support a pedestrian activated light here to prevent more people being hit?
Dear Neighbors,
The crosswalk at Stoneway and 41st is on the agenda at the next Fremont Neighborhood Council meeting this coming Monday. Because it is on the pedestrian bridge route that connects our two neighborhoods, it affects both neighborhoods.
Fremont Neighborhood Council Meeting
Monday, February 24, 2014, 7-8:30pm,
Doric Temple, 619 N. 36th St.
7:25 Stone Way and N. 41st Crossing Update
Mike Morris-Lent,, Traffic Operations Engineer, SDOT
The Wallingford Council, Fremont Council, and the Hamilton Middle School PTSA have all asked SDOT and Mayor Murray to put a pedestrian activated or regular traffic light at this crosswalk. SDOT studied it back in 2001 and gave it a “N” for “Not Safe” rating without improvements. It is a school designated crosswalk. It is on the route that connects to the pedestrian bridge over Aurora. No improvements were made and my son was hit and severely injured in the crosswalk in 2005. The road diet in 2007 was not adequate on it’s own to make the crosswalk safe. Seattle police continue to hold sting operations as recently as six months ago, issuing up to 40 tickets per hour to drivers for “failure to yield to pedestrians”. There have been at least six people hit in this crosswalk in the last 10 years. Four of them suffered head injury ranging from concussive to severe.
I do not want to see anyone else suffer in a pedestrian crash here. Please join us help us get a light at this crosswalk and make it safe for our children and neighbors. Thank you, Desiree Douglass 360-220-1422