The following is a tough read and the click through isn’t for the squeamish but this first-person account from a man who witnessed a car strike a pedestrian on East Pike near Belmont just after midnight Friday morning is a good reminder for drivers, walkers and bikers to slow down — or turn your caution meters up — as things get darker and wetter again on the streets of Capitol Hill.
CHS has confirmed that a pedestrian was struck at this location early Friday morning and one ambulance was dispatched to the scene. We can’t confirm the injuries described by the writer but the non-life threatening element matches up with the level of response the fire department dispatched to the scene.
Here is the witness account of the accident:
I approach the cross-street Belmont and in the crosswalk on the right are 2 little dudes going home from the club, or to the other club, or wherever. They’re going somewhere. They each have their sweaters pulled up over their head as makeshift umbrellas. In the 5 – 8 seconds I get to observe them, the one closest to the car travel lane turns around a couple times as if he can’t decide whether to cross or not. His friend closer to the sidewalk wants to stay put for whatever reason it appears.
The one closer to traffic then decides to make a break for it and I watch him semi-sprint south across E. Pike in the downpour. I had already slowed to a snails pace since I’m used to peeps in this neighborhood doing all sorts of random acts. There he goes in front of me as I crawl though the intersection. I keep my eye on him to my left just to make sure he doesn’t decide to do a 180 and ding up my thrasher ’99 Carrera any more than it already is.
Well, a late model red Corolla made sure he didn’t. I s**t you not, just as I looked left, the ‘lil dude was tagged head-on by the ‘yota at 30, maybe 35 mph. That car was headed the opposite direction of me up Capitol Hill on E. Pike.
Holy ‘eff!
Srsly, dude went ass over tea kettle right there. The Corolla threw him up in the air and dude landed on the drenched street after doing the whole rag doll thing. We parked, threw on the hazards and came up on an ugly scene. The other little dude was there and hysterical, the driver of the Corolla was freaking out, and Mr. Victim was sprawled on the street face-down in a very unnatural looking position with one shoe gone and barely breathing. Blood was happening.
The witness goes on to describe the victim being able to eventually get to his feet and walk after the accident but he does say that the person who was hit suffered some pretty awful sounding cuts and severe scrapes to his face.
I drive up and down both Pike and Pine daily. It’s so busy these days and everything seems so hectic! As drivers, we need to be extra cautious, particularily when it’s raining. As pedestrians, we must look both ways and not just assume drivers will stop! Pedestrians on Pike/Pine don’t seem to be cautious enough I’ve noticed. Bottom line, let’s all just slow down and be careful!
Having driven down Pike earlier that evening, I was stunned how difficult pedestrians were to see crossing the road. There is little lighting to illuminate people while actually crossing intersections.
Inevitable dark clothing worn in in-climate weather doesn’t help.
Sad & scary for all involved.
Victim? Did I miss something? It sounds like he SPRINTED into traffic on a dark and rainy night without gathering an awareness of the cars on the road, an awareness of if the drivers saw him and gauging their ability to stop.
I moved to Seattle six years ago and from day ONE I noticed that pedestrians generally impose obliviousness and entitlement on themselves when it comes to traffic, often strolling in front of cars who are established in a lane of traffic without even looking. Legal right of way is one thing. Inertia is a physical law.
I have to agree. I’ve only been here for a couple of months, but that was one of the first things that I noticed about Capitol Hill — Little to no regard for traffic.
That’s not to say that this guy deserved what he got, by any means. Just that he should have been more careful.
Well… thanks to “witness account” for the recap -i passed this along to my 16 year old for a myriad of lessons… how to cross a street, how to drive carefully in the rain, how to put on your flashers when stopping to help.. and HOW TO WRITE A CLEAR & INTERESTING NARRATIVE. great post. glad our little dude is going to be okay.
So he got what he deserved? Wow, move back to wherever you came from. We are all human and make human mistakes. Further this stretch of Cap Hill is notorious for tons of people out having fun.
I like how you didn’t even pay attention to how the driver that hit him was going 30 or 35…way too fast for a dark, rainy night in a busy area of town. Both can be faulted; however, there’s more onus for the person operating a machine with the potential to hurt and maim to be careful.
I like how you choose to focus on the speed the car was traveling at and not how the supposed “victim” was breaking the law. You are also assuming the speed estimate was correct.
RCW 46.61.235
Bolting into traffic – No pedestrian or bicycle shall suddenly leave a curb and move into traffic so that the driver can not stop
The onus isn’t always on the person operating a machine as you state.