According to the watch commander at the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, she sustained minor injuries and was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for treatment. No additional information was available about the incident as of publication.
This afternoon’s incident is the fourth involving a pedestrian crossing Santa Monica Boulevard in the past 14 days. The most serious was an accident on Aug. 22 when Clinton Bounds, a man well known in West Hollywood’s gay nightlife community, was struck and killed while jaywalking on Santa Monica Boulevard around 11 p.m.
The death of Bounds, and another crosswalk accident that wasn’t fatal on June 28 on Santa Monica Boulevard near Westmount, have provoked protests and a demonstration by local residents who say the city isn’t doing enough to protect pedestrians.
In response, Mayor John D’Amico and City Councilmember John Heilman have put on the City Counci’s Monday agenda a proposal to install pedestrian-activated stoplights at all crosswalks on Santa Monica Boulevard between La Cienega and San Vicente boulevards
D’Amico and Heilman also are recommending that the Transportation and Public Safety commissions hold a joint meeting on Sept. 15 to consider pedestrian safety issues. They will recommend that city employees bring back to the Council on Oct. 6 a plan for installing the new crosswalk lights and that they took a look at all crosswalks in the city to determine if there are pedestrian safety issues associated with them.
The pedestrian-activated lights would be coordinated with regular traffic lights at intersections, reducing the impact of their use on the flow of traffic.
Other recent crosswalk accidents include a young man being hit by a car yesterday while in a crosswalk at Santa Monica Boulevard at San Vicente. Another man, apparently jaywalking, was hit by a car when he attempted to cross Santa Monica Boulevard near Larrabee on Monday. He suffered minor injuries.
A citizen campaign to push the city to take more action on crosswalk safety was sparked by an accident on June 28 in which a man was hit by a car while in a crosswalk on Santa Monica Boulevard near Westmount. That prompted the City Council to authorize installation of flashing lights at additional crosswalks. Unlike regular traffic signals, such flashing lights serve more as a warning sign than a clear indication that a driver or pedestrian must stop until the light changes.
Stupid is as stupid does. You can’t cure stupid!!
Walking out into the street even with a traffic light until you are sure it’s safe to do so is the only way not to get hit. Be aware of your surroundings. Get the big picture.
3 steps..
educate the public as to what the current laws are for drivers and pedestrians.
tell the public that west hollywood is going to strictly enforce the laws.
use the police to fully enforce the law.
“Pedestrians are generally entitled idiots in this town.” WOW!!! SIMPLY WOW! What an arrogant statement! I am a pedestrian, have not owned a vehicle for 18+ years because WeHo is so walkable, and generally pedestrian friendly, or so it is billed by the Chamber.
[A] More Sheriffs on Bikes all over the place [B] lower the speed limit on main Blvds.[C] Lighted crosswalks – RED lights in the pavement and on the signage! NOT Yellow! [D] every street crossing, including the “T” crossings and the “dead end” into SM Blvd. should all have lighted crosswalks. It is amazing how many cars run red lights, floorboard at yellow lights, and run stop signs like they do not even exists! Mainly high end luxury cars!!! I suppose they are “entitled” since they are in a hurry and have paid a lot for their vehicle! [Sarcasm!]
I was having a coffee at Coffee Bean and I look up to see Abbe Land cross the crosswalk and stroll by the Clinton Bounds memorial as if it wasn’t even there.
@Jay Alan Bomberger the street needs to be lit up much more, as per your comment its a safety issue. Even though the last two pedestrian accidents were during the day, at night this city is not safe. Enough money already to the park, put more money into public safety, where it be for crosswalks which is overdue, and overall safety issues.
Talking about jaywalkers – and cars nearly running peeps over – I’m super annoyed about the motor-Sheriff’s hiding in corners to “catch” a driver speeding and all that ticket-collecting-pressure… whilst three cars are parked in the red zone during lunch breaks… I’m irked not so much by dangerous car-drivers but by bicyclists just completely ignoring any street regulations (I’m an avid biker for ALC) but there is NEVER a ticket issued for dangerous bikers… There is no need for anyone to die in this city… As a biker – I look into the cars and most everyone is on a… Read more »
Save WeHo Look around! How many people do see paying more attention to their cell phones than what is going on around them. Pedestrians are stepping out into traffic, not making sure all the traffic is stopped, while either talking on their cell phones or texting. It’s a big problem. I doubt the street you referenced near San Diego was a major artery. Santa Monica Bl. has always had heavy traffic. It was once designated as Calif. Highway 2 and technically still U.S. Highway 66. This was all supposed to be solved back in the 1960’s with the construction of… Read more »
Oh and things will only get better with legions of cement trucks and earthmovers trolling Santa Monica Blvd. with all of the coinciding high density development that is being blessed by the city with only one main access in and out. Add to it reticulus blocked access to sunset and stop signs on every corner south of SMB things and tempers are only going to get worse. Instead of robo parking garages and empty libraries and overbuilt buildings on diminishing green parkland, we should build a darn subway to get cars people off the streets. #smbsubway.
Geez Mike…its just a suggestion for a solution. I don’t think telling people to put away their cell phone is helping anyone when people are consistently getting struck by vehicles. I think its apparent we have issues in this dense area of Weho with visibility. Whether it be adding pedestrian stop lights, more overhead lighting, more signs, changing the crosswalk design…or yes, even narrowing the street to one lane…these are just options that slow the traffic down and make pedestrians more visible. To note…there will always be traffic. Its not like you’d be blocking off SM Blvd. I’m just stating… Read more »
SaveWeHo And where exactly will the heavy traffic go at each end of the city? On to Melrose eastbound. It’s already very crowded. Or up Doheny to Sunset Bl. which is already bumper to bumper even mid day? Westbound would be the same except traffic diverted on to Fountain Ave which ulimately dumps on to La Cienga. No, one lane in each direction is not the answer. Perhaps put away your cell phone, look both ways and not step into the street until all the traffic has stopped would solve the problem. You can’t get hit if your paying attention… Read more »
You know…Pacific Beach down in San Diego had the same issues years ago. It’s a very compact area with lots of shops, pedestrians and people were always getting hit. So they took the “village” approach and brought their 4-lane road down to two (one lane each direction) and added diagonal parking in the extra space. That way people could easily pull into spots (without having to parallel park helping with traffic flow) and that added a ton of parking for the small shops along their main street. The one lane each direction made it easier for cars to see people… Read more »