Archive for the 'pedestrian collision' Category

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Pedestrian struck by light rail vehicle

A man walked in front of a moving Link light rail vehicle and was struck and killed earlier today.


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Preliminary investigation indicates that a 49-year-old male pedestrian was crossing the light rail tracks westbound against multiple warning signals, which included flashing lights, traffic closure arms, and the sound of the horn of the approaching northbound light rail vehicle (LRV).

The LRV operator saw the pedestrian and applied the emergency brakes but was unable to stop in time and the pedestrian was subsequently struck. SFD medics responded to the scene and transported the pedestrian to Harborview Medical Center where he later died.

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Two people hit on Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill Seattle reports that two pedestrians were hit yesterday.


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One person was taken to Harborview with serious head injuries. The condition of the second person is not known at this time.

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Out of control driver was under the influence

The driver who struck three pedestrians at Pike Place Market was under the influence at the time of the accident:

King County prosecutors filed vehicular assault charges Tuesday against a driver who struck three pedestrians outside Pike Place Market.

Filing the charges, prosecutors claim Travis Clinton Lipski was high on Thursday morning when he drove a Subaru through a red light near the market and struck three people.

According to charging documents, Lipski, 39, has twice been convicted of driving under the influence. The Seattle resident is alleged to have admitted to smoking an herbal substance similar in its effects to marijuana shortly before the crashes.

Vehicular assault carries a maximum penalty of 10 years and prison and a $20,000 fine.

Fortunately all three pedestrians are expected to survive, however two sustained broken bones and one of the two is still in the hospital.

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Cab driver rams pedestrian

A pedestrian who complained about a cab driver’s driving ended up being the victim of vehicular assault:

Describing the Dec. 5 incident, Seattle Detective Timothy DeVore said the alleged victim was walking in the alley with two friends when, at about 9 p.m., they were nearly struck by Christy’s cab.

Christy, a driver for Yellow Cab, was stopped and attempting to turn on to Mercer Street when the three pedestrians confronted him, DeVore told the court. The victim, a resident of the neighborhood, said he was tired of cabs driving too fast down the alley where he and others walk.

A slice of pizza in hand, Christy was unrepentant, the detective continued.

“There are no normal people left in Seattle, nothing but (anti-gay slur) and scum,” Christy is alleged to have replied.

Christy then pulled into traffic and appeared to be leaving the scene when he made a U-turn at 1st Avenue North and drove toward the trio, who were crossing Mercer Street, the detective continued. Having driving past, Christy is alleged to have cut a second U-turn and drove into one of the men who’d confronted him.

“Christy sped his cab toward (the victim) striking him on the left side of his body,” DeVore told the court. “Just prior to being struck by the vehicle, (the victim) jumped in the air and bounced on top of the cab and then onto the street.”

The man sustained minor injuries and was treated by Seattle Fire Department medics. Christy, the detective said, fled the scene but was located by officers after a witness noted his cab number.

The driver was charged with second-degree assault.

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Car strikes pedestrians at Pike Place Market

From the Times

Three pedestrians were injured when a car went out of control near the Pike Place Market late Thursday morning.

Seattle police said the driver was arrested and was being evaluated Thursday for impairment. He was booked into King County Jail and is being held without bail on suspicion of vehicular assault, which is a felony.

At about 11:30 a.m., a 1997 Subaru wagon was headed west down Stewart Street past First Avenue toward the Market, according to Seattle police Sgt. Bill Robertson and the department’s online blog.

All three pedestrians were taken to Harborview Medical Center, where hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg-Hanson said Thursday evening the women were in satisfactory condition and the man was in serious condition.

None of them have life-threatening injuries, she said.

While a driver could have been out of control anywhere, the fact that it happened in one of the busiest pedestrian areas of the city means that more people were hit than would have been hit elsewhere. Would closing Pike Place Market to vehicles be worthwhile if it prevents accidents like these from occurring there?

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Pedestrian struck by train in NW Seattle

Yesterday afternoon a 41-year-old female was walking on the train tracks near the Blue Ridge park struck by a southbound train. She was wearing headphones and walking along the track for reasons currently unknown.


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Pedestrian hit by train

A train hit a pedestrian near the waterfront near midnight last night. A train was blocking the intersection of Elliott Ave Alaskan Way and Clay St and a 34-year-old man was struck by another train after crossing underneath the first.

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Five People hit crossing 1st Ave S

A group of five people who were leaving a show at the Showbox SoDo at 1st Ave S near S Massachusetts St were struck by an impaired driver last night. There is coverage of the incident here, here, here, and here. 1 person is still in critical condition. It’s unclear whether the pedestrians were crossing along the unmarked crosswalk, however SDOT is currently doing a project to upgrade the intersection in this area.

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Another Pedestrian hit on Aurora

A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle near Green Lake earlier in the week. My Green Lake has good coverage of the incident.


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There is a single crosswalk, however in this case the pedestrian was trying to cross just a block away from it. Apparently jaywalkers across this section of Aurora are pretty common. While others commenting on this incident are quick to blame the pedestrian for jaywalking, the fact that this roadway is such a common location for pedestrian accidents points to flaws in design.

With walking being such an important mode of transportation in Seattle, it’s important that the built environment enables that. There is certainly a lot of motor vehicle traffic that passes along highway 99, but it also interrupts the street grid and and acts as a barricade for anyone trying to get to the walking haven that is Green Lake.

In this specific case, it’s not necessarily clear that there should be more crosswalks across Aurora, but perhaps it would help reduce the incidence of pedestrian accidents.

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Driver runs red light, hits elderly pedestrians, not charged

Last night, two pedestrians in Lower Queen Anne were hit by a driver who ran a red light at the intersection of Roy St & 1st Ave N. The driver was interviewed by police but was not charged, though police are continuing to investigate. The victims were taken to Harborview Medical Center, but their injuries are not life-threatening.


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