West Hollywood’s first pedestrian accident this year took place at 4:05 p.m. today on Santa Monica Boulevard near Ramage Street.
Sgt. Enrique Mandujan of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station said a woman walking south in a pedestrian crosswalk was hit by a westbound driver going 10 to 20 miles an hour who told deputies he had been blinded by the sun.
Mandujan said the woman complained of pain to her left side and lacerations to her face. She was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for treatment. Mandujan said no charges have been filed against the driver.
Eighteen pedestrians were hit by vehicles while crossing the street in West Hollywood last year. There were 28 pedestrian crosswalk accidents in 2012 and 22 in 2013. Not all of the accidents this year occurred in crosswalks.
The death in August of Clinton Bounds, a man who was popular in WeHo’s Boystown nightlife community, prompted major protests by residents about what they perceived as the city’s lack of attention to pedestrian safety. In response, the City Council in October agreed to implement a number of short-term measures, such as stationing lighted signs warned drivers to be aware of pedestrians, and to create a public safety marketing campaign that includes street signs at bus shelters and a popular online video. The city is also implementing more long-term measures, which include installing stoplights at some Santa Monica Boulevard crosswalks that will be synchronized with existing stoplights at intersections.
It would be interesting to find out the differences in pedestrians accidents where there is a clear crosswalk with no adjacent islands or mediums littered with plants , trees, art works and poles as compared to what exists west of Halloway.
listen again folks. It ALWAYS the pedestrains fault. A car does NOT see you. YOu see a car not stopping? And you keep walking you will be dead. You or a car? The car will win! Take the cross walk at the light like i do and live!
What’s it going to take more hits deaths etc to get the point across You Do Not I say it again Do Not walk in front of moving vehicles cause you will be knock down in more ways then one. What’s going to happen before these idiot me entitlement people realize they don’t own the world and the world owes them Nothing !! Wake up get the story straight more accidents are on the rise if they don’t stop look both ways and Do Not walk into moving traffic. I saw a woman pushing a baby carriage right in front… Read more »
The city is ridicously affluent. West Hollywood is able to afford overhead or underground walkways that go under SMB. This initiative might be funded by revenue created from WeHo’s recent aggressive installation of parking structures and heavily enforced parking meters.
Driving too fast for conditions regardless of what the posted speed might be: wind, rain, snow, sleet and yes, sun!
Someone should start ticketing the pedestrians. They’re usually texting and/or just walk into the crosswalks with a total disregard for their or anyone’s safety. I buy into the idea of being blinded by the sun especially this time of year, I hope the individual that was hit recovers and maybe next time She will STOP, LOOK,and LISTEN like we were all taught in kindergarten.
David, that is why we need crossing guards to help those who never could grasp the idea to look both ways before crossing the street. Either that or hit them on top of their head with a wooden ruler when they don’t cross the street safely.
Jesus… And most of you think of yourselves as “informed citizens!?” From the mob mentality to arrest and convict without evidence to getting the known facts wrong, please avoid jury duty at all costs. Especially if means locking YOU up for being pitchfork carrying drama queens. Brian
Chris, in my opinion, the number fell last year because of the hysteria not despite it.
It’s to bad this woman was struck and injured but she apparently was not practicing “Defensive Walking.” Because pedestrians have the right of way does not mean all vehicles will come to a stop. With all the obstacles in the street sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish a person from everything else. The city has plants, signs, art and metal poles down the medium. DON’T STEP OFF THE CURB UNTIL EVERY VEHICLE HAS STOPPED. THEN NO ONE WILL GET HIT!!
There was very little traffic yesterday afternoon. That the driver was going 15-25 miles under the speed limit does indeed suggest he/she was blinded by the sun and accordingly and appropriately slowed down. It’s laughable to suggest that he/she was texting with zero evidence.
Please also note, those of you who keep screaming the sky is falling that the # of pedestrian accidents last year indeed fell off considerably despite all the hysteria exhibited by some here. It can always get better, but any decisions need to be in context of an improving situation,
I mostly agree with Ben Coleman’s comment.
None of us know how or why this occurred, but I do agree there is more the police could do to increase safety, even if it means setting up “traps” to ticket not just drivers but pedestrians. Once there are enough tickets given along SMB, word will get out, and people will become more cautious. It seems infantile, but just seeing a police car on the freeway slows everyone down.