Memorial photo added April 22nd.
A 17-year-old woman was hit and killed by a pickup truck on Fifth Avenue Northeast this morning, police say.
It happened about 8:15 a.m. as she crossed at Northeast 115th Street, according to a police press release.
Seattle Fire Department Medics and Seattle Police responded to the collision. Medics determined that the 17-year-old female pedestrian died at the scene.
As is protocol, a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) officer responded and evaluated the adult driver of the Ford. It was determined that the driver was not impaired. The driver was released from the scene pending further investigation. Detectives from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad responded and began their investigation. This remains an active and on-going investigation.
Shraddha, I just learned this accident yesterday, when my sister called and informed me of this tragic news about her step-daughter, Sandhya. I have never meet Sandhya but my sister was so proud of her and love her. She just got back from Seattle to be with Sahadev. I can’t imagine what he’s going through. I’m so sad for him, she was his everything and and his world. My thoughts and prayer are with the family.
I don’t know if a ticket would fix those types of people.
Something must be done about this intersection. I was crossing there this afternoon and was honked at and flipped off by a driver who didn’t want to slow down. Seriously! What is wrong with people? I don’t know if a crosswalk will help, but people need to understand it is legal to cross at any intersection, marked or unmarked.
Saw one at the NE corner of 96th & Roosevelt
Haven’t been paying attention to presence or absence of the signs; I’ll try and look tomorrow mid-day.
Shesh, yes, just paint without signs doesn’t help. I agree with WDOT and Feds, not SDOT.What are you not getting. I am the first one to take action so don’t even go there. I have asked for speed checks and crosswalks in that area. I have taken Northgate Mall to the hearing examiner twice. I have gotten a $40,000 grant for Hubbard Park for exercise equipment that you will see this fall. I have preserved a wetland across from me, etc ,etc,etc, I have worked my butt off for the past 25 years for this neighborhood. Believe me, if you see me complaining about something on this blog, I have followed up on it. BTW, have you noticed any signs at LUX lately?
You also said this:
“Just crosswalk paint is pretty useless and doesn’t do anything to help studies have shown.”
Sounds like you know better than every highway administrator out there. Maybe you should be SDOT’s new director.
And just FYI–constantly complaining on this blog makes ZERO difference in the real world. Get up and do something about it.
Yes, it is just you. I very clearly said that painted lines without the additional signs to accompany them have been shown to be a little use. I suggested moving the crossing at 117th to 115th, signs included. I most definitely disagree about the false sense of security, that was a statement from SDOT. Having read from WDOT and Federal highways position on sidewalks there was no mention of “false sense of security” and they said what I said which was signs need to accompany the paint. Try to keep up Tim.
Is it just me or did it get a little ironic in here? From what I’ve read, you’re saying SDOT should paint a crosswalk if 50 people cross at the intersection, yet painted lines are useless.
@ Anne, I just drove by there an hour or so ago. I wouldn’t mind a bit if they relocated the signs at 117th to 115th which is used much more often than 117th. Just crosswalk paint is pretty useless and doesn’t do anything to help studies have shown. This is also helpful to drivers as well as pedestrians to indicate extra caution in that area.
There is a crosswalk up on 117th and 5th where tjere used to be a bus stop however it is so faded it is difficult to see when youre driving.
I have struck and killed someone. an officer at the scene said it appeared he was in the middle of the road when this happened.others said he was walking correctly.people on social ridiculed me for texting and driving.i don’t have texting my phone was in my pocket.please know that there are 2 families facing the challenges of this terrible tragedy no matter what the circumstances
@Tim, comment 28:
Tim you stop that logic. People in Seattle don’t like the use of common sense 🙂
Bikes travel parallel to cars, pedestrians cross perpendicularly. For pedestrian travel parallel to cars they have a nice raised cement platform to walk on.
Speaking of bikes, NE 115th is a designated, painted and mapped bike route. Further in the middle of the street where the accident happened there is a painted turn lane for bikes.
I can promise you there are more pedestrian at that intersection than bikes any day of the week yet they get the paint and we get nothing.
How does this happen?!
I swear, if it was easy to tear away from my roots, I’d move out of Seattle. It has the oddest culture of any “progressive” city I can think of. In many ways… Seattle is very backward compared to our progressive neighbors such as Portland and Vancouver.
To think that many of those up in arms about this accident… are also opposed to more quality bike lanes through Mapleleaf…
It is simple math people, fewer cars, and more people walking and cycling, and using mass transit… provides a safer and healthier environment for us all.
Cars are the enemy… stop bending over for the auto and oil industry. If you are too out of shape to ride a bike… maybe take a look at your personal fitness.
When was the last time anybody heard of a pedestrian run over and killed by a bicycle?
This is directly from SDOT regarding a request for a crosswalk at 115th and 5th
“Crosswalk:
From our field review, the crossing volumes appear well below the level that would meet our standards for installation of a marked crosswalk. Those standards are 100 crossing pedestrians for a one hour period or 20 pedestrians per hour for a continuous four hour period. We would be concerned that installation of a marked crosswalk here could lead pedestrians into a false sense of security in crossing 5 TH Avenue NE & NE 115 TH Street. 5 TH Avenue NE is a heavily-used street, and it’s important that pedestrians feel that they should be alert for traffic in crossing the street.”
This threshold is unreasonably high and does suggest that a crosswalk could be dangerous. I’m actually getting madder by the day that pedestrian safety in a huge issue in our area and not getting proper attention by SDOT. Just got off the phone to request another review of this area. How can we possibly make our neighborhood pedestrian friendly when we are told the car is almighty.
I say this with all due respect to the grieving family. We are with you. Anyone that knows me knows if I get pissed I get moving.
Dear Shraddha,
I am so very sorry for your loss. It’s such a tragedy to lose someone so young in a terrible accident. My family’s thoughts and prayers are with you and her family in this time of grief. We are neighbors here too and have children this age. I can’t imagine what you are going through.
Dear all,
We are holding a candle light vigil in memory of Sandhya this Thursday at 7.30 PM at the same junction where the incident took place.
Shraddha –
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Sandhya and her family. We are very good friends with Sahadev and were deeply saddened by the news of his daughters passing. I’ve heard lots of great things about her. If we can provide you comfort, know our thoughts are with you all.
Thank you for your support. It means a lot in this hour of grief. Her dad is heartbroken. Her mom is in Nepal thousand miles from her, and I can only imagine her loss and pain. She was an exceptional daughter any parent could wish for.
Dear Shraddha,
I am so very sorry for your loss. I am assuming your cousin was a neighbor of mine since I live on 115th, only a block and a half west of the site. The neighborhood has long fought for sidewalks and crosswalks as the area is very busy. I have a daughter your cousins age and it could have been her. We will continue to fight for pedestrian safety in honor of your dear cousin.
Dear Shraddha – I don’t have any information but I am heartbroken for your loss. I hope your family knows there are people out here who feel for you, and who would have come running to help if we had been there.
Shraddha –
I am so sorry for your loss. My heart broke when I heard the news. Sandhya was far to young to pass.
The girl’s name is Sandhya. She is my cousin and the only child. Her parents are inconsolable. She left to go to North Seattle Community College that morning. We haven’t seen her body yet, and it feels like she will come back from school. We are heartbroken and want to know what exactly happened. Police haven’t disclosed the details yet. We want closure. I request to contact me at 206-422-3452 if you have any information.
Nice use of that jump to conclusions mat, David.
Read this and tell me where the word “dangerous” occurs:
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/docs/roosevelt_MLCC%20letter%208-10-2010.pdf
There are absolutely no data in existence showing a crosswalk at a location such as 115th and 5th is more dangerous for pedestrians.
The study SDOT hides behind for saying painted crosswalks are dangerous is so methodologically flawed it should be retracted. Even if you accept the data at face value, the most it says is this:
If the road has more than two travel lanes AND if the majority of people crossing are over 65 AND if there are no other ‘helper’ infrastructure like signs or flashing lights THEN there is a slight expectation painted crosswalks would be more dangerous – but only to those over 65.
For SDOT to embed in their culture this report means “crosswalks are more dangerous” is utter nonsense. As I noted before, the main fomenter of this false interpretation has moved on. But the culture there still exists.
Mayor Murray has a chance to change that culture and make huge strides in pedestrian safety in Seattle as a result. Let’s hope he does so. Soon.
David
Again not out of speculation, but since it’s been mentioned that dozens of people and children cross that street every day, and it being right across a daycare, there needs to be a crosswalk in case something like this happens again and the victim (who was a child herself) is accused of jay walking.
Really sad! I feel bad for the victims family and friends. We have all gone too fast at one time or another, but no driver ever wants to hurt a person. I have had people walking on the sidewalk and take a 90 degree turn to cross the street in front of me with no hesitation and then glare at me when I have to stop quickly. I agree with doing things to make the streets safer for those on foot, but far too many people fail to take any sort of precaution. I am not saying that is the case here, but just in general to some people who think they are invincible or use cross walks with a serious attitude.
From someone who has spent a lot of time on a motorcycle, I don’t trust other drivers regardless of the signage and same goes when walking. Its not worth assuming the driver will act accordingly. The one time they don’t a young ladies life is taken way way too early.
The driver was not impaired and did not appear to be going over the speed limit so stop speculating, at most he was distracted by something which we are all guilty of at times. Unfortunately it seems the girl was distracted and not paying attention either as she didn’t see the truck and was walking at an casual pace. It is a horrible situation for all involved and unfortunately 2 peoples everyday mistakes had catastrophic results. Please let it be a lesson to us all and hopefully it can prevent another tragedy.
I was thoroughly dissapointed that the 20+ ppl in the area didn’t even approach the girl to check on her, let alone try and help her. Most simply carried on with their day, and only a half dozen or so witnesses gave statements that I saw, and a lot more people were there than that.
I cross that intersection every morning to catch the bus. Kids are dropped off there, and it’s right next to a daycare. There needs to be a crosswalk there, people speed down that street going 50mph.
I live a block and a half away and I’ve spoken the witnesses. It sounds like neither the driver nor the girl saw each other. It sounds like he was speeding and hit her as she was crossing to get to the sidewalk and catch the bus for school.
King County has surveyed the various lots that make up the Northgate P&R and Transit Center, running vehicle license plates and looking at ZIP codes. The majority of the cars parked there came from addresses pretty close by.
Reports from our friends in Pinehurst indicate there was an eye-witness who stayed and completed statements to SPD.
This is our collective nightmare, all of us who advocate for better crossing markers and safety. This intersection was submitted for lights and crosswalk markings by Pinehurst residents and was turned down by SDOT for one reason or the other. Turnd down just like key crosswalks on Roosevelt, 15th, 5th. Turned down like requests for pedestrian-activated flashers on Roosevelt and 15th. Turned down like many of our requests related to pedestrian safety.
We continue to be frustrated by SDOT’s insistence crosswalks go in only where enough foot traffic already exists. The lead architect of the “crosswalks are dangerous” nonsense is no longer with SDOT, but that nonsense culture hasn’t been eradicated from the department yet.
Mayor Murray has a public process ongoing to determine the traits of who he should hire to lead SDOT. I think we should all take a moment and send him a comment(Ed.Murray@Seattle.gov). We need a leader at SDOT willing to eliminate the anti-crosswalk culture from that department once and for all.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of this young woman.
David
Stated facts ” truck was travelling southbound on 5th Avenue NE. At the same time, the girl was crossing westbound at the intersection of NE 115th Street.”
If truck is going south and she is heading west she would have had to be in at least the middle of the street and not just stepped off a curb.
I feel horrible for all involved and it especially shakes me up to know it was so close to me.
I didn’t know the proposed crosswalk there had failed the SDOT test. Crap. That time of day there are a lot of speeders heading to the transit center, mostly from out of area I bet. I asked for a speed watch a few years back but they didn’t see a problem. Oh its real
The big problem with crosswalks is that it lulls pedestrians into thinking that they are protected from harm by the painted white lines. I’ve seen pedestrians walk out into the crosswalk without stopping to allow traffic to see them or give vehicles time to stop.
For this incident, I was walking northbound on 5th Ave NE when I saw all the police activity. Since 5th Ave NE is a wide and busy street, I thought that’s where the accident occurred, but according to the news article, it occurred on NE 115th St. I don’t believe there’s a marked crosswalk at that location.
We do not know the facts in this case, or the result of the investigation. This accident could be the fault of the driver. This could be a very tragic accident, that could not have been prevented by the driver.
Unless somebody has seen the statement to SPD from the “eye=witness”, it is a lot of speculation at this point.
Very sad. But please, folks, not all the facts have been gathered yet. It may well be that the truck driver was completely at fault (on a cell phone, distracted, going too fast, or drug impaired).
But until then, I will reserve judgment until the investigation is over.
Most of the time pedestrians are careful, but I have also had the awful situation where someone was on their cell phone or had headphones on and they ‘step off’ without so much as a glance.
So, we shall see. Nevertheless, this is horrible. And this was not a ‘hit and run’ thankfully. Again, let’s reserve judgment till all facts are known.
This happened a block and a half from my home and I just now heard. I can tell you drivers go way too fast there. Pinehurst recently secured a grant to put in a crosswalk there. There is a very popular bus stop right there so I suspect the girl was walking to that. Spring break is this week.
I am heartsick. I have an 18 year old daughter and hope it was not a friend of hers. Looking for more info. Hope there were witnesses. Drives me nuts you can kill someone and just walk away.
Very sad. My heart goes out to the girl’s family.
Here’s an excerpt from http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/pedrcw.htm so people in doubt about right of way laws in Seattle can educate themselves and avoid another tragedy.
WAC 132E-16-040
Pedestrians — Right of way.
——
(1) Stopping for pedestrian. The operator of an approaching vehicle shall stop and remain stopped to allow a pedestrian to cross the roadway within a crosswalk unmarked or marked when the pedestrian is upon or within one lane of the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling or onto which it is turning.
(2) Pedestrian sudden movements. No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to stop.
(3) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply under the conditions stated in subsection (6) of this section.
(4) Overtaking vehicles stopped for pedestrian. Whenever any vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or at any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass such stopped vehicle.
(5) Yield right of way. Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than in a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the roadway.
(6) Curb ramps. Where curb ramps exist at or adjacent to intersections or at marked crosswalks in other locations, disabled persons may enter the roadway from the curb ramps and cross the roadway within or as closely as practicable to the crosswalk. All other pedestrian rights and duties as defined elsewhere in this code remain applicable.
I was “on scene” today, business in the area. The cordon was over two hours, so I suspected somebody had been killed.
Very sad when my worst fear confirmed. Expect driver to be charged, unless pedestrian was jaywalking.
My condolences to her family. Be careful, 5th Avenue appears to those avoiding I-5 as a viable alternate if they can make time by going too fast.