Driver Who Hit Pedestrian in Eureka Last Week and Left the Scene Called EPD
Emergency personnel are loading the victim into the ambulance as of 6:21 p.m. [Photo by Mark McKenna]
On October 22, 2020, at about 6:12 p.m., officers with the Eureka Police Department (EPD) responded to the intersection of 4th and A Streets for the report of a vehicle vs. pedestrian collision. The pedestrian was located injured in the roadway and the involved vehicle was no longer on scene.
The 25-year-old male pedestrian was transported to the hospital by ambulance with major injuries. The pedestrian remains in serious but stable condition. While officers were on scene investigating, the involved driver, a 47-year-old male, contacted EPD by phone once he arrived home. Officers responded to the male’s residence for an interview. The driver explained that he was “shook up” and didn’t have a phone on him to call from the scene.
Based on the preliminary investigation and surveillance, it appears the pedestrian walked onto the marked crosswalk, in front of oncoming westbound 4th Street traffic. He attempted to cross all the three lanes of 4th Street, while traffic flow continued toward him. The pedestrian then appeared to suddenly run out in front of the car that ultimately struck him. The driver of the car stated that he did not see the pedestrian approaching and was unable to avoid the collision.
The driver was evaluated and it does not appear drugs or alcohol were a factor. He is cooperating with the investigation and the involved vehicle was towed for evidence.
The collision remains under investigation and no arrests have been made at this time. Upon completion, the case will be forwarded to the Humboldt County District Attorney for review. Further information will be released as available.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the Eureka Police Department at (707) 441-4044.
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Thank you for being man enough to call the police and explain your side of the story. The person trying to cross the street was at fault and was lucky they were not killed. I hope you will be found not guilty. Living with hitting a person is punishment enough. If that happens to you again for some unseen reason, just pull over and stop and check on the person. They might need your help.
Just to clarify, the man crossing the street was in a crosswalk, and had the right-of-way.
Just because you have the right of way, doesn’t mean it’s safe to do something. I’m too lazy to look up the exact law, but it basically says that no part of the right of way laws shall be construed as allowing a pedestrian (or a driver) to fail to exercise due care, and also explicitly says a pedestrian should not suddenly emerge from a place of shelter, like from behind a vehicle, for exactly reasons like this.
No one has the Right Of Way until someone gives it to them. Read the California Drivers Handbook. It’s all about who should yield the right of way to who. So, yes, the vehicle is supposed to yield the right of way to pedestrians (crosswalk or not), but that’s not always possible. You can’t just walk into traffic because you “have the right of way”. We’ll, I guess you can, but you might get killed and it would not be the drivers fault.
Kornia, would you have tried to cross all those lanes with cars coming your way? I think not! The person took a life threating chance to even try to cross. Now the man that hit them has to live with that for many years to come. Common sense would have been to yield the right of way to the traffic until it was safe to get across the street.
🕯🌳I’ll give him the fact that he called BRAVO for being honest. 👍🏽🖖
So, everyone knows that a lot of people on foot and bikes cross 4th and 5th, but no one is ever on the lookout for them? “I didn’t see him/her” is the common refrain from drivers, as if it’s a plausible excuse.
The man was in the crosswalk, with the right-of-way, trying to cross three lanes of fast-moving vehicles (very poor infrastructure) being sort-of driven by people too distracted or entitled to stop. Well done.
“as if it’s a plausible excuse” … Have you ever driven a vehicle?
“The pedestrian then appeared to suddenly run out in front of the car that ultimately struck him”
Hard to be on the lookout for someone running into traffic
You are stuck on the right-of-way issue. Why don’t you go down and cross some streets for fun or play in the freeway!!!!!
The fact you left the person you hit is illegal…You are now a hit and run driver….You should be cited for this ! You should have called an ambulance and the police at once and saw to it that this person would be ok…You don’t get any kudos from me…Shame on you which is why you called the Police for you knew it was wrong. How would you feel if the person dies???? Grow up or stop driving.
Yep. Even if it’s a legitimate accident or entirely the other person’s fault, you should still stick around, call 911 or find someone else to do so, and render assistance if able.
not to jump to conclusion but i have had many homeless junkies run out in front of me on 4th and 5th. I avoid that route as much as possible due to the tweakers that seem just to walk into traffic at any moment they please. sounds like most likely the case here since the driver was not cited or arrested. i sure wouldnt feel safe stopping after hitting one of those zombies.
Sometimes I see a vehicle slow down in the right lane, assuming it’s going to make a right turn. If you’re in middle or left lane you keep driving…the pedestrian has some responsibility to make sure all lanes of traffic sees them Before just marching out into moving traffic
Just put the 101 bypass in. End of problem. No longer Caltrans issue, the city of Eureka will actually have to figure out the problem instead of fleecing away all that state money they get for having the 101 go through town.
They need to install light up crosswalks solar powered led would be the way to go
This guy was transporting drugs. You don’t need a phone to not commit the crime of hit and run.
In looking back, the driver should have just stopped, or gone to the EPD to inform them as to what had just happened, and he had no phone.