Pedestrian Killed in Collision on Broadway in Eureka
Broadway is closed between W. Wabash and 14th Street [Photo by Ryan Hutson]
The collision occurred along Broadway between West Wabash Avenue and West 14th Street, where traffic is currently blocked in both directions as emergency personnel remain on scene.
Eureka Police have confirmed the incident is fatal, though additional details about the pedestrian or the driver involved have not yet been released.
Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area and use alternate routes while officers continue their investigation.
Information gathered from early reports may be subject to revision as more facts become available. Redheaded Blackbelt will update this story when additional information is released.
Update 5:12 p.m.: Waterfront Drive to the west of Broadway is an alternative route which can be accessed from West Del Norte from the south and 1st Street to the north.
Live from the scene:
Update 5:20 p.m.: EPD Commander Wayne Rabang has identified the involved vehicle as a cabover RV. Additionally, witnesses report, and Commander Rabang confirmed, the deceased pedestrian had a dark-colored dog on a leash at the time of the collision. The dog reportedly ran from the scene; its whereabouts are unknown at this time.
EPD officers inspecting RV involved in fatal vehicle vs. pedestrian collision. [Photo by Ryan Hutson]
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Cops just yelling and pointing saying, “walk the other way”. Put up a sign. Help the community know yet another person is dead due toEPD and CHP doing a poor job “protecting the community” mantra. Authorities do your job. . Stop being so” go the other way”. Laziness. Always trying to find an easy traffic stop versus dealing with true problems like your own faculty that “represents us”!
How exactly is this EPD & CHP’s fault?
IMHO:
I really have no idea what you are trying to communicate.
Um…asking you to not stop and be a looky-loo is being lazy? Also, how is this an “easy traffic stop” or not a “true problem”. A person died. Seems a pretty important matter to deal with. What else do you expect them to do?
Hey, but it’s their right to go through a possible crime scene and not be prevented from doing what they want because it would be an inconvenience to them.
The blood is squarely on Caltrans’ hands, having deliberately designed such a horribly dangerous intersection.
Your comment is just plain nasty!! The Eureka Police Department and the California Highway Patrol due an excellent job in protecting our community. If you think they are lazy you are completely wrong. There are not enough EPD officers to be everywhere at once and the same applies for the CHP. How about a kind and loving word for the pedestrian that was killed. May they RIP.
I agree with you, police seem to be kept quite busy helping certain crowd. Maybe we need to ask why so much foot traffic in such a bad intersection? Maybe there shouldn’t be a crosswalk in this location. Is foot traffic this important? If so make the taxpayers pay for a overhead walkway for this foot traffic crowd. But let’s first see how much foot traffic uses this crosswalk and why.
Del Norte dog park is located at the foot of Del Norte by the bay.
This would be the best place for a pedestrian who lives nearby to cross Broadway.
Unless they’re trying to get anywhere other than the dog park.
Here’s a picture of Del Norte dog park
I use it to get from Costco to the bus stop.
Wouldn’t it make more sense for Caltrans to fix their terrible design? It’d be safer for everyone, including drivers.
If a person won’t walk 100 feet to the nearest signalized intersection to cross the street, WHAT makes you think they’d walk 200 feet, then climb a couple hundred foot ramp or two flights of stairs to cross on a bridge?
This also wasn’t “just” a crosswalk, it’s a fully signalized intersection where the lights are timed in such a way that a pedestrian crossing between Adel’s and the Patriot would have a walk signal at the same as someone making a left turn from eastbound Wabash to northbound Broadway. It’s designed to have cars hit people.
Yes having pedestrian and bicycle crossings are important. Although majority choose to drive and granted many have to not all of us in eureka choose to drive our vehicles when it’s not necessary and ride bikes/ walk for the environment and get exercise and not spend money on fuel when we don’t have to I highly highly recommend more people walk and ride bikes everywhere including on Broadway. I think the bigger issue is many ppl on the road arnt safe or qualified and have poor vision.. especially a vehicle the size of an RV you must be very careful and takes extra vigilence to operate a vehicle of that size. Not all pedestrians and bike riders in eureka are homeless I have plenty of perfectly legal and running vehicles I choose not to drive most of the time and I think many of us should do the same maybe we should have more bikes than vehicles on Broadway because it seems like most vehicles only have a driver and we even have a bike trail from King Salmon to Mckinleyville now! Let’s use it! 😊
I use it all the time. I have multiple working vehicles and a home. Pedestrians and bike riders in eureka are not all homeless
Does a chicken need a reason to cross the road?
I totally agree with you, it’s so highly likely to hit someone in Eureka that it’s not even funny. It’s not the officer’s fault for crying out loud. Get off the feed if you can’t say anything nice about your area
I never said it was the fault of the EPD or CHP. Please try reading my comment again.
So you expect the police to be everywhere all the time monitoring every pedestrian walkway? You seem very unhappy I’m sorry
How awful. Condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
Indeed. The driver seems quite distraught.
He sure does look distraught. Just sitting there and leaning against a post and wondering what in the hell have I just done.
I’m guessing it’ll be awhile before the nightmares stop.
Until that light also has a green arrow version installed they won’t. And that little rework where Fairfield begins to make it one way I’m not sure helped all that much. I see people scissor there frequently. Or outright take off from the north turn lane on Broadway, and make an illegal U-turn, crossing in front of EVERYBODY to get on Fairfield. Or come down Fairfield the wrong way, blow the intersection and either keep going like people used to do before the reworking of it. It got treated like a highway on/off ramp. And people obviously are still getting hit there. But oh no, people pitched a fit about not being able to get to the intersection from Fairfield, but never addressed the lighting issue.
I think it probably will Korina42. Generally, people that really care about others usually are greatly affected by accidents like this.
Very sad 😥
That intersection is awful.
Stay safe out there people
It’s not sad, it’s infuriating! That intersection doesn’t have to be that dangerous, but that’s how Caltrans designed it.
The pedestrian was crossing Broadway in a crosswalk with his dog. The RV was turning left onto northbound Broadway from Wabash. The pedestrian suddenly looked up and screamed at the RV as it drove toward him and apparently didn’t see or hear him. There is no fix for drivers who are not paying attention! Not sure how the CHP or City is to blame on this one. Very sad.
Fat A-pillars are a hazard. If you haven’t driven a vehicle with one you wouldn’t know, but they are scary. As a pedestrian walks toward you they actually follow the blind spot.
Oh man…. had to dive into A-pillar’s and the moving blind spots esp with the large side mirrors that are created by them. You ain’t lying.
>”The RV was turning left onto northbound Broadway from Wabash.”
So, the RV was coming from the ‘Costco’ side of the road ??
Sounds like it.
Yes, from the direction of Costco on Wabash.
The worst part is that the left turn signal is timed with the crossing signal. Who programs a traffic signal that way??
Tears are flowing. This is so tragic and heartbreaking. As a witness, you must be beside yourself with grief as are all who are having to deal with this including the police. Keeping people away until all is investigated is what the police are doing.
It’s Caltrans’ fault, 100%. They made that intersection.
They could get rid of left turn option , that would make it safer for pedestrians.
That intersection is a historical artifact. It has been there at least half a century. I would guess at least twice that. I think CalTrans has done a pretty good job with signage. Is there room for improvement? Of course. For one thing, drivers could slow down. For another thing, pedestrians could wear light-colored clothing.
This happened in broad daylight. Clothing color had nothing to do with it. Traffic signals are designed so that a driver making a turn will be steering into the crosswalk at the same time a pedestrian is crossing. It has killed people before this incident and it will keep killing people after this incident unless things change.
Yet other pedestrians and bicycle riders, wearing dark clothing at night or at twilight, have been injured, sometimes fatally.
And? What does that have to do with this incident or this intersection?
Not 100%, because people not paying attention are also an issue, but that certainly must be a top priority for Caltrans to fix Wabash and 14th turning left onto Broadway (Highway 101) by putting in left turn signals and talking boxes for pedestrians with crosswalks that light up when pedestrians have the right of way to avoid future deaths and harm to pedestrians.
95% then.
Funny that for decades the number of people dying on U.S. roads was on a downward trend, right up until 2010, when the number started to rise to the current 40,000 people killed on our streets every year; that doesn’t count those who are injured, sometimes permanently. Do you know what else happened in 2010? The iPhone was introduced. Sheer coincidence, right?
I’m sorry you witnessed this.
After reading your comment, I didn’t sleep very well last night.
Worst intersection in a town of bad intersections. As a local I know and so I pay extra respect and caution at Wabash/Broadway. But visitors have no idea how many lives have been lost there. I’m so sorry for this guy and his loved ones. I hope the dog is found and loved…
My prayers 🙏 are with all involved and witnesses
Caltrans does share some responsibility, though limited in this case. They have neglected this highway corridor for decades, continuing to just put bandaids on the issue.
Whatever happened to the huge study completed years ago about the different options to make Broadway safer and better for traveler?
I have seen no update on this item.
Kym, can you get some info. on this?
I have attended at least five different Broadway Improvement Plan Meetings.
Wait… what happened? Are you even in eureka the last couple years??? They’re actively implementing shit right now- HELLO???? All over the town changes have been happening and construction is in process. You sound as oblivious as the abundance of impatient and inattentive drivers and the druggies who meander in the roads too drugged to care about safety or laws.
Like creating the random one way “bike only” -but not really- zones on C Street?
While pedestrians try to navigate safely crossing 6 lanes of a major interstate moving at 40 mph +, with many of the cross streets entering that fray without the benefit of a designated left arrow?
…not like the dangerous state of Broadway is news. They are just ignoring the problem while they tinker around in town building bike lanes, jut outs, and whatever that is over on C.
Haven’t been on South Broadway lately, have you?
That’s the problem. 😆 I have.
The ambitious dream corridor plans that Kym referenced below plainly states that:
*Broadway is the most dangerous corridor in Eureka.
*Nearly half of the city’s fatal crashes happen on this tiny stretch.
*Pedestrian and bike crashes are so frequent that Eureka ranks #1 or #2 in the entire state for injury crashes compared to similar-sized cities.
(Source: Pages 24–26 of the plan)
Broadway’s issues are not imagination, hysteria, or bad luck. They’re structural. And they are not going away anytime soon. Nor have they been mitigated by a few of those random bump outs they’ve cluttered the thoroughfare with. 😂
Per Their Own Data:
*35,000+ vehicles a day on what is basically a strip mall driveway-with-ambition.
*Sidewalks missing or too narrow.
*No bike facilities at all.
*Too many driveways, every one a conflict point.
*High-speed traffic meets people on foot with nowhere safe to cross.
*Long stretches between signals, encouraging sprinting across.
More stats for your amusement.They describe the real risks we are under every day until ,if and when, the money fairy pushes this ambitious project through…. unless the sea rises first…
*153 injury crashes on Broadway from 2014–2018.
*9 fatal crashes in five years.
*Broadway is less than 2% of Eureka’s road miles but has 16% of all injury crashes.
*Roughly half the fatal crashes in Eureka happen here.
But please! Try to tell me where I’ve been/not . Comments like that add so much value.
If you’ve driven South Broadway and not noticed all the work that’s being done, you just might have given a clue as to why accidents are frequent.
Pay attention when driving.
Those big “fixes” (the couplet) that the “improvements” 🙄 we are seeing on Broadway rely on, haven’t even been started! Nor is the funding been secured to implement them.
The bulb-outs they’ve installed don’t begin to address the top causes of fatal crashes and accidents on that stretch of roadway.
The corridor needs full reconstruction, and the safety benefits of those recent additions (out of order with a project of this scope) are only theoretical until the rest of the project is done .
Great job on the research thank you for that. I remember voting to not put electronic signs on Broadway but they are there… so even when we want something they aren’t going to do it if they don’t want to. They don’t care about making the city safer every thing they do they do half assed. I think the speed should be lower 40 45 is too fast with poor lighting and no safe cross walks anywhere and THE YELLOW LIGHTS ARE NOT LONG ENOUGH so people rush to make the light instead of stopping.
Broadway/4th/5th are Caltrans, C St. is City of Eureka.
They have to do something, foot traffic in eureka has become a problem over the last 10 years. Try rolling through that town at 4,5,6am the pedestrians are hooded up and most don’t use crosswalk. They only have one care in the world, very selfish people.
This? https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-1/d1-projects/d1-south-broadway
Stop rage-baiting the people here…Go back under the Sleugh bridge troll.
I think a pedestrian bridge would be a good investment somewhere near here.
People always object that then someone will get hit trying to cross 200′ down the road, too lazy to get to the bridge. That’s probably true, but still, MOST pedestrians i think would walk several blocks to get to a safe crossing– especially homeless with unwieldy loads of carts and dogs (it would need to be a gradual incline). It would be a relief to motorists and to walkers/ bike pushers alike. Since this intersection is so busy and has been proven to be so deadly, i think within a block or two of Wabash (probably south) would be a good choice.
I think one of the biggest problems is that they are not willing to walk further down to cross safely, they’d rather just leave it to luck. When your brain gone on drugs the ability to reason is the first to go.
Some of them.
Or maybe the whole corridor is poorly designed. Personally, I’d take a lane off each direction and create a shared bike/bus only lane, add more crosswalks with raised intersections, take street parking off Broadway, and probably other things I’m not remembering. Make the corridor less like a freeway and more like a Main Street. It would be safer for everyone, drivers included, and make Eureka’s downtown a more pleasant place to be, helping the remaining businesses and maybe encouraging new ones.
This sadly deceased pedestrian was walking in a designated crosswalk and NOBODY said ANYBODY was on drugs, and the driver of the HUGE RV was not determined to be on alcohol according to what I read. Perhaps you just like to rush to put blame on somebody trying to cross the street in the proper place. All the other circumstances have nothing to do with this situation, but all to do with victim blaming, in my opinion.
Really?? How is your time more valuable than mine? No, I do not want to walk a quarter of a mile and 10 minutes out of my way when I just want to get across the street.
Also, pedestrian bridges are ungodly expensive, and no one likes them. It would be much more appropriate to redesign the 101 corridor to be less like a freeway and more like a Main Street.
What a sweet and cordial mood you are in today! How did i say anything at all about my time compared to anyone’s, especially yours?
But now i will. Yes, i would gladly take a few minutes to make a safe crossing before i’d dash across a busy street at a 5-way intersection and take big chances with death. Perhaps you wouldn’t… you could just run into traffic, while i safely walked well out of the reach of the cars and trucks below.
Is that more clear?
Pretty much every car-brained driver says something like this, and it really irritates me, and it all boils down to “people should get out of the way of my car!”; sorry if that’s not what you meant and I offended.
Well, in principle, no, people should not be any lower priority than cars. But in reality, yes, people should get out of the way of any car– if they value their lives. The alternative is NOT getting out of the way of a car… and choosing death or injury!
Thank you for apologizing, but I still don’t see how suggesting a safer way than dodging crazy traffic on the ground at Wabash and Broadway is offering disrespect to pedestrians, though. Your grand ideas sound wonderful, if and when ever implemented. Meantime, it’s dangerous out there and people are dying. They make wildlife corridors and fewer animals die. Why shouldn’t humans have the same safe option?
How about we make Broadway into a subterranean tunnel?
Or make the pedestrian crossings tunnels.
Unfortunately, the path would turn into a makeshift weather shelter and it would be gross and scary to go down there.
LOL
Make the entire Broadway a 25mph school zone.
How many people have to die at/near this intersection before something is changed? They’ve gone and changed in front of mcd’s by the mall so you can’t turn on red anymore but another death on the hands of whoever had continued to keep this intersection the same dangerous deathtrap.
An overhead pedestrian walkway could be the answer but the city is broke with all the handout programs. This is one of the most dangerous intersections in Eureka.
Again, this is the Highway 101 corridor, and Caltrans is in charge. Blame them; they have all the money, but aren’t interested in fixing any of it.
A tragic accident occurred and people who know nothing about it are full of speculation and blame. I see this all the time when news outlets like this allow people to comment. Rather than blame Cal Trans, why not blame Henry Ford – he popularized mass production of cars. Cal Trans proposed a freeway through Eureka that was eventually abandoned because of local opposition – they had gotten as far as buying up the properties within the freeway footprint. So, following the logic of blaming Cal Trans, that would put the blame on the local opposition to the freeway. There would be a lot less traffic on Broadway if there was a freeway through Eureka. Accidents happen – let’s wait for the CHP report before all the blaming.
You can be assured that state and city planners and engineers read these comments with interest and carefully, as do I.