Geo Duarte
By Geo Duarte
2:50 PM, Wednesday, 7/5/2023. One of two minor females was struck while using the crosswalk with lights activated at Carrillo and San Pascual Streets.
The 10 year-old-girl was taken to Cottage Hospital to make sure she didn’t have more serious internal injuries. She seemed to have pain in one leg, but was able to stand up after the fall.
A gold colored Sedan allegedly did not yield to the flashing lights, but did remain on the scene. This portion of W. Carrillo St. was re-designed about a year ago. It was converted to a 4 lane road with vehicles no longer being allowed to park on the street.
Neighbors report “…the girl was walking while holding her skateboard and the lights were flashing when the accident occurred.” They also reported that “many drivers tend to race to merge onto the freeway on-ramps.” They feel it is more dangerous now and it is harder to pull out of their driveway at high traffic times.
Several SBPD officers, CSI, and Mary-4( (motorcycle) remained to complete measurements and take photos. The scene was cleared in about 20 minutes and a traffic back-up all the way up the SB Off-ramp quickly cleared up.
As a final note, neighbors also report that many drivers do not yeild to the crosswalk. “…they blow right through the yellow flashing lights.” “They need cameras!” one lady stated.
Photo by Geo Duarte
By an edhat reader
A little girl got hit by a car on Carrillo Street at around 2:45 PM.
Yup its not a good spot at all.
I question if there have been MORE ped-vehicle accidents here since installing the crosswalk. Crosswalks often give pedestrians a false sense of security, and their existence can encourage crossing at places people normally wouldn’t. This is an awful corner for visibility and speeding, there is way too much going on for drivers to pay attention to. Glad the girl is okay!
Garage people? You are rude, with no cause. My post was NOT blaming pedestrians at all, I’m not sure how you got that out of it. I’m speaking to numerous actual studies done on the psychology of crosswalks and how their existence affect human behavior. We are all prone to these effects. Crosswalks do not always make situations safer.
Do you have any actual conversation to add, or just name calling and complaints about the site?
P.S. Guess what, your moniker “MARCELK” is also anonymous, doh!
It’s the pedestrians’ fault!
(Gawd this place is a mess, with garbage people hiding behind anonymity.)
Lol oops, *garbage* people
In California, the pedestrians always have the right of way, except on the Freeway.
WOW, Marcel,! quit trollin’ SORRY! This is not some backwoods place where cars are exempto from responsibility. Such as Central or S. America. I think Uruguay or Venuezuela cant remember maybe it’s Argentinian laws that always blame pedestrians for getting in the way or involv in any accident no matter the sitch.
Poor kid hope she’s ok.
Hope someone got the plate # of the car.
Per City Council & police the cross walks are dangerous.
They give pedestrians a false sense of safety. Pedestrians are less likely to look to make sure traffic stopped.
A traffic light with a pedestrian call button is better than some flashing lights.
The article says the vehicle stayed on scene and the driver was cooperative.
Blame the pedestrians!
Keep LA 100 Miles Away….. Unless it involves thinking hard about cars and sprawl… If I need to do /that/, my brain is tired so let’s just stumble senselessly into the gridlock…
When they put this crosswalk in, I was so nervous about cars just blowing through it for this very reason (people racing to make the light to get onto the freeway, etc.). I’m so glad this wasn’t a major injury incident. There’s also a similar crosswalk like this on Las Positas right after Modoc that I worry about, too. It’s right where cars would typically start to accelerate on Las Positas, and it’s also partially shaded by trees at times during the day, making it less visible. I am always extra-vigilant and slow down at these two crosswalks.
SB is a nice small city, make the speed limit 25 mph citywide.
Seems like greater enforcement would be helpful. Get the word out that tickets will be given when pedestrians are not given the right of way.
Dream on. There hasn’t been police traffic enforcement here in years. The city blames the lack of officers with those still on the force being too busy handling drunks and assisting the fire department. Oh……and occasionally chasing actual or perceived criminals. I want my tax dollars to be spent protecting us from irresponsible drivers and lately RadPower bike pseudo motorcycle riders—-many of whom are children who have no business riding them, especially not on the sidewalk or the wrong direction on the street.
This crosswalk is unfortunately not really enforceable via sting due to the lack of sufficient stopping sight distance. You’d be shocked at how far away you must be when the pedestrian shows intent to cross in order to get a failure-to-yield crosswalk ticket. It’s far. Only the dumbest of the dumb drivers are cited during those stings.
Coming from the fwy underpass yesterday the crosswalk lights started flashing. The big black truck in adjacent lane ACCELERATED to pass through the flashing lights and crosswalk before the pedestrian on the same side of the street could do more than step off the curb. Typical.
One of the problems is that nearly 50% of the time, the crosswalk is illegally activated by (lazy? arrogant?) bicyclists rather than pedestrians. No wonder some drivers minimize their reactions to the crosswalk.
Is it actually illegal for a bicyclist to press the button? I doubt it. Drivers aren’t required to yield to a biker riding in a crosswalk, that much is true. Obviously not to the point of hitting them, that will get you in trouble, but if a rider on their seat is waiting to ride across a crosswalk, you do not need to stop for them.
Ah yes it is bikers fault that people run through the cross walk and hit people. Certainly can’t blame the person in the car.