A 12-year-old boy was struck by a car as he walked to Hamilton Middle School this morning.
According to witnesses quoted by KOMO and KING 5, the boy was in the crosswalk at N 40th St and Wallingford Ave when a Honda Civic ran a red light and struck him. The boy boy somersaulted over the hood and hit the windshield.
He was taken to the hospital, but was conscious and talking and is expected to recover.
School is in session again. Please be careful out there: one thoughtless moment or hurried commute could change a lot of lives forever.
(Photo from Google Maps)
And what consequences will the driver face for nearly killing someone? A $124 fine for running a red light? What a joke.
Speedy recovery wished, of course. However, Wallyhood, please don’t say that “a Honda Civic ran a red light”.
Until Google’s self-driving cars take over, cars don’t run red lights by themselves. Passive-voice like this contributes to people not feeling like they are actually responsible for everything their vehicle does when they are behind the wheel.
Thanks!
Needs a lynchin’.
I hope a speedy recover for this young victim from this sadly preventable event. It is unfortunate that it was only a matter of time before an incident like this occurred.
I am so tired of people running red lights in this town, it has only seemed to increase as of late. This boils down to someone essentially saying that 60 to 120 seconds of their life is worth more than someones entire life.
The intersection of 50th and Meridian is another terrible one. It would be good for the start of the school season for SPD show a presence and monitor intersections like these which are often seeing red light runners around 20 plus per hour in the morning commute.
Not sure why, but have noticed an increasing number of people driving the wrong way on Latona, north of 45th (that is, Latona is one way north, and they are heading south). sometimes people even turn around in an available driveway half way up. Plus speeding. I think we need more SPD (has anyone EVER gotten a ticket for going the wrong way?) and /or speed bumps.
I’ve had drivers give me the finger for honking at them when they’re heading south on Latona right at me. Kenn’s comment is so true: no one’s life should ever be at risk to make you just a little less late for work. Just as no one’s should ever be at risk so you can send that text while you drive. Our first goal should always be that everyone gets to where they’re going alive. Your getting up late shouldn’t lead to anyone dying.
Agree with all. Sad to say, I was almost hit twice in the past 24 hours. Yesterday, not once but twice, as I was walking east down the sidewalk on N. 50th, a middle school boy on his bicycle silently raced past me on my right, just missing me. Five minutes later, it happened again, this time the right handlebar caught me in the back chest and knocked me down, almost into the constant traffic going east. I suggest to all area schools that the students be reminded to shout “on your left!” as loud as they can,and to remind them they could kill someone and/or hang their life forever. It was horrible for me. Even though it is a hill, they should not ride at breakneck speed on a sidewalk, and be aware of pedestrians ahead of them at all times.
The other time was today, at the intersection of 40th and Wallingford, which is always dangerous for pedestrians. This time, it was a parent (most likely a parent) with three kids in the car turning the corner from 40th going north on Wallingford, way too fast, with no awareness of a pedestrian.
I am so very sorry this happened a this your boy, and I sure hope he is ultimately ok. But this will stay with him for a long time, and certainly a distressing and traumatic time for him, and for his parents.
Did this person STOP?? DID THE POLICE COME? I would like to know more. I agree that a police presence at these two intersections, plus a policeman and a camera at the corner of N45th and Wallingford (by the cleaners) are needed. Definitely a strict camera at this location. Drivers try to “make it” through the long intersection going east on N.45th, run the red light, totally block the intersection so cars with the left green arrow have NO chance of crossing N45th or turning left on N.45th. Again, it is only a matter of time until there is a tragedy.
What is the prier place to report concerns like this?
I have been a pedestrian in Wallingford for years. I think we need to petition for the Red Light cameras. I have lived both south of 45th and north of 45th and see the same behavior everywhere. It seems to me like most people are just using Wallingford as a “pass through” and since 45th is such a mess, they use 40th and 50th.
The intersection close to 99… on 46th, where it also meets Greenlake, is where I pick up my bus. I cannot remember a time when all the drivers actually stopped at the red lights.
We are a family town. There are children, cyclists, mom’s with strollers, dog walkers… if our intersections are not going to be treated with respect, then putting in enforcement’s such as red light cameras would make a big difference.
Police closed the intersection completely, with a huge presence, for several hours. There were investigators taking pictures and there was a KOMO news truck (I live next door and the truck was in my driveway).
On a typical day, however, the number of cars that do not stop at crosswalks on 40th Street approaches 100%. And the number of tickets I’ve seen written for it in the 30 years I’ve lived on this street is zero.
I live a block south of the intersection. I didn’t see or hear the accident but can confirm that there was a significant response from the police and emergency services. Seattle’s Real-Time 911 (http://www2.cityofseattle.net/fire/realTime911/getDatePubTab.asp) reports that there were 2 fire engines and a medic unit dispatched to the scene at 7:30am. The police shut down both 40th and Wallingford for a block from the intersection in all directions (you can imagine what 39th looked like when all the traffic from 40th gets redirected). The Northbound 26 bus was parked on Wallingford since it couldn’t get through the side streets or turn around. I left the neighborhood at 9:30am (about 2 hours after the child was hit) and everything was still locked down. I forget the acronym that the police officer used to describe what they were doing at the scene, but I gather it meant that they were collecting the evidence that would be necessary for a case against the driver or lawsuit from the victim.
There was also a news helicopter overhead for what seemed like an hour. I recognize that my annoyance at loud helicopter sounds is nothing compared to the suffering of the family of the injured victim. It also seems that having this story in the morning news might make a few folks drive more carefully that day. But I do wonder why the helicopter can’t just take 30 seconds of video and go away.
I walked by the intersection after work just now and the first time the light turned red there was a speeding car running through it.
Try riding a bike during commuter hours and get a real feel for the unnecessary shortcuts drivers take to shave a few seconds off their petrol commute. The “in a rush attitude” combined with smartphones sitting in drivers laps always has me on edge.
More chicken news… What is with chickens in Wallingford?
The Bagley Bantom chickens, one tan-brown, one is black and white, are still missing, and a neighbor has reported a regular chicken black and white- missing. That one might be the one at the animal shelter, that is black-white striped like a guinea hen, on Elliot Ave.
And now…a missing chicken (not ours) beautiful chocolate brown and black has been found and is at the bagley house- 547-4545, Kyle or Scot.
I used to commute to work in Magnolia by going across the Fremont bridge (down Wallingford and over 34th to get there). I started going a longer way through Ballard because of the crazy school parents and the kids who would RUN across the street.
But really, do any of you people commute in a car around this neighborhood? Driving east/west between 7 and 8am (and 5/630pm) the past couple weeks has been miserable. I’ve had people honk at me because I’m going 20 down 45th so that I can SEE the stop lights and pedestrians.
I don’t wish harm on kids or to make excuses for idiot drivers, but it is possible that the driver couldn’t see the red light and the kid darted out without looking the second the crosswalk turned to walk.
I manage Cantinetta restaurant on the corner of 37th and Wallingford. I spend a lot of time on this corner watching cars speed up and down Wallingford Avenue each day, making our street unsafe. We are actively trying to get the city to put in an East to West cross walk at this intersection to raise the awareness and safety for this local intersection. There is a bus stop, mailbox, Firefly tutoring center and Cantinetta on this corner. We need a cross walk here! If there is anyone who could help us expedite this process it would be of great service to our neighborhood.
Thanks,
Amon
i live on the block and a woman in what appeared to be her mid twenties ran the light. her windshield was smashed, and the kid flew up in the air. she was extremely distraught/hysterical, as one would be. this is the THIRD accident that has shut down our intersection in the last couple of months. as a parent of young children, i really would like to see this intersection improved. both Wallingford Ave and 40th, are incredibly dangerous as thoroughfares, given the amount of children and schools in the neighborhood. the intersection at 40th and wallingford is particularly dangerous because of the glare, shadows from the trees, and its narrowness. prior to this incident, i had already submitted a request for SDOT to take a look at safety on this street, but was told it wasn’t a priority. if any other neighbors and/or parents are interested in seeing if we can do something else, please get in touch. i avoid crossing in that very crosswalk because i am frequently almost hit by drivers (not running lights).
and i agree, wallingford ave has people speeding down it all the time, who get angry and pass if you are going the speed limit (just saw this happen as i was walking down the street this am, with children playing out in front of half the houses on the block). this is a neighborhood, not a highway and i’d love to see traffic circles, speed bumps or something else to slow people down through the neighborhood on Wallingford Ave.
I’d like to know if the perpetrator of this outrage was texting or otherwise occupied with a mobile device at the time of the incident. No matter what you do to slow down obstruct traffic, it’s not going to do any good if people aren’t watching where they are going.
I’d also like to point out that while we at least make an effort to teach defensive driving, no one says anything about defensive walking. I see too many people walking around these days, even crossing busy intersections, with their heads down in their mobile devices.
I’m not saying this victim was doing anything like that. But it seems to me that safety instructions seem rooted in the notion that all you have to do is follow the guidance of a benevolent central authority — such as a traffic light — and all will be well. Better children should learn to understand that a car approaching the intersection might or might not stop when it’s supposed to, and they should wait until it actually does — or if nothing is approaching, to be prepared to dodge a car that appears unexpectedly afterwards.
Words to live by: “Trust, but verify.”
Why is there not a 20 mph school zone around Hamilton and on N 40th and Wallingford? There is a school zone and flashing lights down 40th near JSIS. I drive past Garfield High School on 23rd and there are flashing lights and a 20 mph school zone there.
Agree re flashing lights and 20 mph school zone. Probably one on Wallingford, another on 40th. The number people driving cars, bikes and motorcycles through the red light going west on N.45th is increasing. Cars are the worst offenders..the drivers of the cars! So so dangerous. Hamilton kids to go QFC in large numbers, after school and sometimes mid day. We do not want another tragedy
People aren’t just driving crazy on 40th and Wallingford before school, they are driving like crazy down the side streets like Woodlawn, 41st, 43rd, and I’m sure the other streets as well. I’m tired of the mentality that everyone of these drivers’ job is more important than the children’s (and adults and animals) lives they are endangering. I’ve almost been hit a number of times just crossing in front of my house trying to get to my own car. It’s so frustrating.
I was driving down Stone Way yesterday at about 9 am. I was not distracted in any way and I was driving at the speed limit with eyes on the road and an awareness for pedestrians and bikers.
Just south of 40th, a young girl (Hamilton student?) starting walking across the crosswalk in front of my car. I stopped with plenty of time, but I was surprised by how hard it was to see her (i.e. how easy it would have been to not see her)… She was smaller than the average pedestrian and wearing headphones and black/gray colored clothes, and she stepped into the crosswalk and began walking without checking to see whether approaching cars were stopping for her. I’m not pointing these things out to blame the pedestrian in any way, but just to say that I was really disturbed by how hard it was to notice her. I think it’s a combination of the general chaos going on at that stretch of the road (construction! bikes! Ducks!!) and the fact that cars are allowed to park near the crosswalks, making it very difficult to see a pedestrian who is about to step into the crosswalk.
Based on my experience, I really think that more needs to be done to increase pedestrian visibility, whatever that means. If I were the parent of a child who regularly crosses Stone or Wallingford or similar streets, I would coach them on heightened awareness of crosswalk safety and encourage them to be extremely cautious — this means that you visually confirm that approaching traffic has seen you and is successfully stopping before stepping into cars’ paths, and additionally being aware of the possibility that cars behind stopping cars might pull out into the middle turn lane impatiently to pass. Pedestrians also need to look for bikes speeding downhill — the bike lane is the first path you cross as you begin to enter the street, and lots of the bikers go fast enough down Stone to cause significant injury in a collisions.
Again, to be clear — I’m not faulting pedestrians or excusing drivers for not being hyper-vigilant and cautious at all times. I’m just really concerned that more pedestrian accidents are going to happen in the future…
Probably not from Hamilton – their classes start at 7:50 am.
Amon- you want to contact the WCC and get the project submitted for the next funding round of pedestrian improvements. Their Web site is at http://www.wallingfordcc.org/