Pedestrian Injured in Eureka Crosswalk Sunday After Being Struck by a Vehicle
![Emergency personnel at the scene of the accident tonight in Eureka. [Photo by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/53513210_2099150370122022_137561853961175040_n.jpg)
Emergency personnel at the scene of the accident tonight in Eureka. [Photo by Mark McKenna]
According to the Eureka Police Officer Tim Marsolan, the pedestrian was traveling east in the crosswalk and was struck by vehicle. Poor lighting conditions at the intersection made it difficult for the driver to see the pedestrian, explained eyewitnesses to the collision.
![Emergency personnel at the scene of the accident tonight in Eureka. [Photo by Mark McKenna]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/53491113_1060012500852877_7981663435001692160_n.jpg)
The accident scene. [Photo by Mark McKenna]
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Can we please stop excusing drivers for hitting pedestrians at night? In the first photo, you can see that the headlight lenses of this early to mid 2000’s model Subaru Outback appear cloudy. This significantly diminishes the illumination from the headlights. In the last photo, you can see a functional street light above the 6th Street crosswalk. Was the driver who hit the pedestrian in the crosswalk driving at or below the posted speed limit?
I hope the pedestrian makes a full recovery and is fully compensated for all expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering.
Cloudy headlights have been an ongoing topic with me for quite some time now, with my replacing them completely on my car, a few years back, since headlight restoration kits are good, but not quite as good as new headlights.
Here’s more info on the dangers of driving around with cloudy headlights.
“Research revealed that deteriorated headlights, when used on low beam, provided just 22 percent of the amount of light a new headlight does when operating at full capacity. AAA also examined the effects that replacing or restoring a headlight can have on improving the amount of light produced. Replacing headlights with original equipment manufacturer parts is the most effective method to restore light output back to 100 percent.”
https://newsroom.aaa.com/2018/12/dangers-driving-cloudy-headlights/
I agree. But in general, even as someone who walks to work often, I feel it is the responsibility of the pedestrian to stay out of the way of a car. ESPECIALLY at night. People tend to not be aware of their surroundings (whether driver or pedestrian) and that is a significant contributing factor to incidents such as these. Hoping for a full recovery for the pedestrian.
Granted that the pedestrian has more “skin” in the game, and ends up on the worst side of a auto/pedestrian collision, they should be more aware of the dangers, but I seen first hand the callousness/carelessness on drivers’ part when a vulnerable road user attempts to cross the road way.
The section of roadway that the pedestrian was hit on, is a bad section, with a downhill grade rounding a corner, I’ve followed numerous speeding drivers , as well as having been tailgated by others as well in that direction of travel.
It’s the responsibility of the person inside the 4000 pound chunk of metal to not hit unshielded pedestrians. There was a crosswalk. There was a pedestrian crossing sign. There was a street light.
As long as their precious phone is in their hands, I doubt many drivers even consider their headlights condition anymore.
Seems like the auto industry has been aware of this headlight issue for up to twenty years. With a cost of about $400-up to replace a set of headlamps, one might think the auto industry could do something to fix this safety issue.
Hit one pedestrian, and a set of 400 dollar head lamps are cheap in comparison to a civil lawsuit.
Look for the headlights freaking dip shits. They are getting hit on purpose this is bullshit.
You can’t tell anything from those photos, my guess is the ped walked out into traffic like all the street people do in that part of town . There’s responsibility on both sides
Was the pedestrian visible? A lot of them wear dark clothing no matter what time it is. I walk my dog and try to wear an orange or yellow vest or light colored clothing.
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Pedestrians fault. It’s night time and it’s hard to see at night. You know that. Yet you still wanna dance with death and argue about who has the right of way. That pride has gone to your skull, there is no talking to you. I’ll have better luck explaing to my cat how the Internet works. I see you’re still ready to argue and prove your point. You might just be dead right! Good on ya !!
It’s a question of right-of-way. A pedestrian in a crosswalk has the right-of-way. An exception might be if the pedestrian was running into a busy street. But assuming the law is on your side—because it is—shouldn’t result in you being blamed for a driver’s negligence. “I didn’t see him” does not replace “I wasn’t paying enough attention to my driving.”
Eureka has a pedestrian-injury problem, and I put the blame on lack of police enforcement. Stand a few blocks from the courthouse in either direction on 4th or 5th and you will see drivers clearly break the crosswalk law in full view of police several times per day. I used to work in Old Town and see it a at least once per week on Third Street alone just walking to my car before and after work.
If a law isn’t enforced, people ignore it. In Eureka it is not, people do, and sometimes people die.
I use that intersection on a regular basis: Car = often, motorcycle = pretty often, walk and bicycle = rarely. Vehicles fly through there. There is a gas station, motorcycle dealer, apartment complex and other businesses that uses 6th street as the only exit, except for those going north on the highway. There is a senior living complex right up the hill. Based on the photo and the direction the car is facing, it came from Myrtle Ave, passing the senior living complex. Unless one is driving the speed limit (HAHA), V and 6th may as well be a blind intersection. I’ve been nearly rear ended there countless times trying to turn east onto 6th to get gas. I only use it now if no one is behind me, opting to take the highway north to get to the gas station.
The opposite direction, coming from 4th and 5th Streets, is just as bad. There are two lanes that merge into one just past 6th Street, just before the senior living complex and Office of Education. It seems that everyone has to be first and races through 6th to be ahead of all other cars when the two lanes merge.
And heaven forbid you live or work or shop at the east end of 6th and need to cross V or turn south onto V having to face the fresh-off-the-green-light-racing-mergers or the downhill-blind-bend-speeders or both.
Don’t know what the ped was wearing, but visibility is key. Don’t know if the Subaru was speeding, but, based on experience at that location, I would bet so. Probably both at fault with the city having some responsibility.
“Poor lighting conditions at the intersection made it difficult for the driver to see the pedestrian, explained eyewitnesses to the collision.” Possibly, probably.
But whatever the driver saw, the pedestrian saw the vehicle (no matter how foggy its headlights were), yet stepped out in front of it. That i don’t understand and never will.
“Oh here comes a half-ton of metal flying down a hill. I’m feeling lucky, and this crosswalk says i have the right of way. Think i’ll step out in front of certain maiming or death.”
I’m not sure we know the sequence. He might have been well into the crosswalk when the driver approached. Note the comment above: “…it might as well be a blind intersection.”
Regardless of the situation, California law requires drivers yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. It doesn’t say, “Unless it is night time, or dependent upon the type of clothing worn by the pedestrian.”
I imagine if the driver had been ticketed before for driving into a crosswalk that was occupied, he or she would have been more aware. On the other hand, if the driver had done it before, saw that a policeman had witnessed it and not received a ticket or warning, the assumption would be it was no big deal.
Right. I’m not arguing the legality of it–clearly the driver was responsible for stopping.
I’m talking about the reality of life and death.
You could be right… the victim may have been old or slow, or just slower than the vehicle. I’m just saying that if i knew i were not able to cross before a distracted or too-fast driver saw me, i would be wearing all the bells and whistles–reflective armbands, bright clothing, probably a flashlight–and wouldn’t take a chance until i saw and heard an opening long enough for a safe crossing. I know that intersection too–you can see a vehicle’s headlights for a couple of hundred feet in each direction, both uphill; day maybe more dangerous than night, because you wouldn’t see the vehicle coming out of the curve–but it’s pretty open; not sure how anyone figures it’s like a blind intersection. Maybe a distracting one–a lot going on with 101 just ahead for the north-bound driver–but no visual barriers.
Not a moral nor legal judgment–a practical suggestion. My mom always taught us, “Always assume the drivers can’t see you. You see them, you stay out of their way. They NEVER see you… just act like that’s the case. Simple.”
re “a blind intersection”… What I meant was, with the speed that a lot of people drive pass the senior living complex and around that bend and down that hill, few of them would have time to react, just as in a blind intersection.
You are correct, it is not an outright blind intersection.
Unfortunately, a pedestrian who claims right-of-way may end up being DEAD right.
The streets in Eureka are poorly lit, pedestrians wear all black, and DO NOT pay attention to their surroundings. I have also been on the other side of this argument and was biking east on L street toward Old Town and stopped at the red light on the 101. Mind you it was daytime…The light turned green and there was one car coming that would need to stop at the red light and he completely blew past and I had to slam on my brakes not to get killed.
It’s total bullshit. It’s both the driver and pedestrian working together that makes things safe. Pedestrians need to pay attention and not wear dark clothing when it is dark out.