A man crossing Rainier Ave at Dearborn was hit by an 18-year-old driver Tuesday morning. He was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
From SPD:
On May 8th at approximately 11:05 a.m. officers responded to a vehicle/pedestrian collision with injuries. Preliminary investigation indicates that a black Subaru Impreza was travelling southbound on Rainier Avenue South approaching South Dearborn Street. At the same time, a male pedestrian was crossing Rainier Avenue South at South Dearborn Street in the north crosswalk, walking west to east when he was struck by the Subaru.
SFD medics responded and treated the 24-year-old male pedestrian at the scene. He was then transported to Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
Officers evaluated the 18-year-old female driver of the Subaru for signs of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. No signs were detected.
There were no citations issued at the scene, which is standard procedure in serious traffic collisions requiring extensive follow up investigation and collision reconstruction.
Traffic Collision Investigation Squad detectives responded to the scene and continue to actively investigate.
Everybody runs the red light there including busses. A red light camera is needed.
Buses run the red lights everywhere, at least downtown and nearby. And they never seem to be called out on it.
When buses hit someone, the scrutiny is intense. Drivers are immediately put on leave, and Metro does an investigation separate from the standard police investigation. I’m not sure what the guidelines are for drivers on running the tail end of a yellow light. They do get a little extra leeway on many right of way laws. For example, did you know a bus pulling away from a bus stop into your lane has the right of way? You have to stop for the bus, says the law.
I frequently see buses run red lights, especially at Third and Union and at Third and Pine, by entering the intersection after the light has already turned red.
At Third and Union, often the bus is stopped in front of the post office for passenger load/unload. It starts up again after the light has already turned red for northbound traffic and it goes through the red light. I have seen this happen dozens of times.
Apparently this is OK as long as they don’t hit anyone. I know the bus has right of way over vehicles going in the same direction when the bus is pulling out from the curb, but I don’t read this as having right of way over cross traffic operating on an already-green light.
Here are some good responses from @velobusdriver (a KC Metro driver) via Twitter:
“We’re subject to same laws. Legal to enter intersection on yellow but @kcmetrobus trains us to be able to stop for “stale green””
“We’re not perfect so when we “catch” light we have to balance risk to peds and slamming on brakes risk to passengers.”
“Tricky balance, but we don’t get “pass” on running reds. Traffic cops are a rare breed, but we will get PR if sup sees us run light”
What is “stale green”?
I don’t see how any of those responses address the frequent issue of already stopped buses starting up at a red light and going through it while it is still red.
What the heck are you talking about! This situation has NOTHING to do with red light cameras or buses, are you smoking crack? Its likely the pedestrian was j-walking – a common occurrence in that area. The nice thing about jaywalking is that its a self limiting behavior here in grey rainy Seattle. At some point the incompetent j-walker gets slammed by a car who can barely see the road and the walker learns the hard way. Do we really need a “red light camera” here? No way. A regular traffic cam might be nice to help track down violent criminals as they flee their regular crime sprees over here, but a red light camera seems invariably to turn into a situation where the light timing gets changed to a oddly short green, stupidly super short yellow, then the bright camera flash and $$$$ in tickets. What is up with that anyway, why are the red light cameras intersections setup with really weird light timing, is it just me or what?
It’s not just you nobody. Those cameras flash flash at odd moments. I don’t trust them. It is a money grab by shameless goverment gamblers. If we want to prioritize safety at an intersection we can ask for police presence. I would be much happier to have a patrol car frequenting that area multitasking (seeing all the activity) than a damned computor staked out for the sole purpose of pick pocketing errant citizens.
Your reading comprehension skills need work.
“… in the north crosswalk, walking west to east when…”
Except, Curtis, the police willnot spen time there. They have been asked many times they do not care(see previous containment zone comments). That intersection is a major East West bikeway from the I-90 bike lane to and from downtown. Red light cameras do a good job of detering those who run red lights. At everyone I see drivers actually slow and stop before the light turns red. Money not just talks it screams stop.
Your points are realistic. Still, I don’t trust the city with a free pass to pick pockets.
Red light cameras increase accidents.
Why?
Because they shorten the length of the yellow light to increase revenue.
The city and the private company that runs the cameras could give a crap about safety, it is all about lining their pockets at taxpayer expense.
I saw the accident and he was J walking. I feel bad for the gal who is only 18 and hit someone in her car.