Pedestrian Injuries and How to Perpetuate Them

[XLFD]

Two boys hurt in separate vehicle-pedestrian accidents in one afternoon
Details still sketchy in Scottville accident

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

By Jennifer Linn Hartley
Daily News Staff Writer

 

Cornelius Daemon Smith, 9, of Scottville remained in serious condition Tuesday afternoon in DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids following a Monday afternoon pedestrian-minivan accident.

 

It was one of two vehicle-pedestrian accidents in Mason County Monday.

 

 According to Mason County Sheriff Jeff Fiers, Smith ran out into traffic and a vehicle headed east slammed on its brakes and missed Smith, who was then struck by the west-bound minivan.

 

Deputies from the sheriff’s office investigated the accident at the scene.

 

Later Monday on Custer Road south of Fountain Road, a 4-year-old boy, Keygan Stouse, was injured when he ran into the path of a car driven by Steven Rybicki of Free Soil. The vehicle swerved left and the child struck the right passenger door, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office reported. Stouse was treated at Memorial Medical Center and released.

 

Fiers reminds parents and children to use caution around streets.

 

“In the cities, they need to use crosswalks, that’s where people are looking for people crossing the roads,” Fiers said.

 

He said children need to stop and look before crossing a street.

 

“Parents need to be looking out where the kids are and watching out for them also,” he said.

 

Other safety tips, he encouraged children to be reminded to slow down and stop before crossing a street and not going out between parked cars.

 

 

I have read many such reports of accidents that happen to children pedestrians and bicyclists, and the findings of the police is almost always the same, the reporting of the news outlet almost always follows the same template, and the safety reminders are almost always incomplete.

 

The second pedestrian accident with the 4 year old wandering out onto Custer Rd., where the speed is 55 mph, was an unfortunate accident where we have to ask whether he was properly supervised at the time.  I doubt negligence was involved, however, I recall a local accident that happened to a son of a young mother in 2000 where she was prosecuted, I believe unfairly.  Here's that story:  LDN Ped accid 2-3-00.txt  

The driver, Steve Rybicki, in this accident, probably was aware enough to save this 4 y.o. boy from serious injuries by veering off.  Likewise, the driver in the other accident  heading east past the Library

 

was aware enough to slam on the brakes to avoid the pedestrian, whom I think we could all agree, entered the roadway when he shouldn't have.  Notice that the speed limit through downtown Scottville on US 10 (State St) is 30 mph, and this is signed toward both ends for east and west going vehicles..

 

But the west-travelling minivan whose view of the road looked much like this

 

somehow could have been aware of the young boy, but apparently when the boy moved to the north of the sidewalk in front of the library, crossed the grass and curb, then the first lane (complete with the other car screeching to a stop), crossed the middle lane, and then wound up in front of him/her (supposedly travelling 30 mph or less, and readying for a stoplight)  was not able to avoid the collision.  The east-going vehicle who had a second or more less time to react stopped in time; the west-going vehicle who has as clear a view, restricted to the same speed, and a second or more of reaction after the first car slammed on its brakes, could not. 

 

When something like this happens, it should be prima facie evidence that the west-going vehicle was not exercising proper precaution upon observing any child on a roadway, or exercising due care to avoid a collision with such a pedestrian, and should be given a traffic ticket for violation of R28.1716.  It never happens, however, and so these accidents become more likely to happen.

 

It is further perpetuated when the police agency focuses all of their safety recommendations toward the youthful pedestrian or bicyclist.  Sheriff Fiers has some excellent bit of advice for kids and their parents, advice they have likely heard ad nauseum, but why isn't there some words of wisdom for the unnamed west-going driver who almost killed a boy due to sloppy driving?

 

 

 

 

[Sweater Cows!]

Your picture greatly misrepresents and is very misleading about what it is like to drive through this area. I have gone through here daily for years and it is not as open as the photo makes it appear. You got a lucky break in traffic moment.

That area is a zoo of traffic and poor visibility, usually cars coming from the side streets and people all over the place, especially kids. I feels "tight". If you blink going through there a person or car could be in your path.

The only words of wisdom for the driver would be, stay out of that clusterf**k during the day time.

Just driving through there is like being a horse with blinders on. Why I don't know but it is a poor visibility area. When there is traffic going both ways and coming off the side streets it is no where near as open as your photo makes it appear.

Again, If it was anything the way your picture represents to drive through this area I might give this post some validation, but I don't.

Please, go out there in your car and drive through everyday for a month in both directions and you will understand what I mean. I am not putting you down, but I don't feel you don't really have a good grasp on those few blocks of street from personal experience(in a vehicle) like I do. I really don't know how to convey my feeling about this length of street.

Perhaps the driver that hit the child was distracted, but in this area they could just as well have blinked and that kid was there. It IS a scary area to drive through.

"But the west-traveling mini-van whose view of the road looked much like this" NO, the view going west looks nothing like that!!!! NOTHING At least before 6pm most nights. If there was a car or two in the eastbound lane the child could have easily been out of sight for the westbound driver. Taking into consideration that the child was RUNNING, The mini-van's A-Pillar(windshield pillar), and a car or two going east possibly being in the view of the westbound driver(to their left where the kid would have come from behind those vehicles and in front of the stopable eastbound driver) I can see how easy it would be for the kid to be in front of the driver before they had a chance to stop.

I am not saying the driver that hit the child was possibly not paying attention, it's very likely. What I am saying is that in this area during the daytime it is very understandable for myself having been through there so many times to see how this could have happened. It is one of those area that if you travel it alot you are very careful because you EXPECT something like this to happen from experience with this street.

[XLFD]

The pictures weren't mine for the taking, they came from the Google maps feature, I never have my camera when I'm in that area. A drawback is that they have the west looking photo be from the vantage of the left side of the road

I have went through that area in my vehicle plenty of times and like you have seen it more travelled than in the picture, and look more closed, as you say. One could even conclude some of the tree shadows may have been a factor. Still, a library/residential area should present drivers with a higher degree of focus on the road area, and you or I will likely be ready for some wacky kid jumping out in front of us, and be able to stop if they've crossed over two lanes. Many drivers are not taking up this responsibility.

I think it is a minimal standard we should have for some accountability in protecting those who don't realize how dangerous the road actually is. And yes, I think that if the driver was ticketed for his offense, the kid should perhaps be ticketed for his offense (entering the roadway when a vehicle is too close to stop), via his parents. Thankfully, he is improving and is now in fair condition.

[XLFD]

True, just about every area has periods during each day where there is some difficulty from the elements or the sun, or even shadows. And I wonder whether there was any such difficulty at the time. But it still troubles me somewhat that the first vehicle was able to stop, and the second wasn't even though they had a bit more time to react.

It's also strange that they (the MCSD and/or the LDN) divulged the driver's name for the Custer accident, but withheld it for the other. I find in my personal conversations that there are enough self-acknowledged 'distracted' drivers who have the feeling that "but for the grace of God, something like that could happen to me when I get distracted while driving. That poor driver-- and that dumb kid."

Reporters and cops, many who drive while distracted much of the time, are often in this group. I think that drivers need to own up to their responsibilities on the road; I know I try to, probably because I have seen motorists drive past kids on or near the road as if they were not there too many times.

[XLFD]

I'm not saying you were, but the police and the general newsman will presume you were at fault, even if you weren't (that's why it was in quotations).  I am willing to hear about what actually happened, because more often than not, the motorist will be at fault even when he is not held that way by the authorities.

[Sweater Cows!]

I'm glad to hear he's doing better.

I went through today and gave it an evaluation. I NOW believe, that the vehicle driver must have been quite distracted. That said the area does make me feel nervous.

Shhh... don't mention the trees, the last thing we need is more 'paving paradise to put up a parking lot'

[XLFD]

I already have commented a bit about trees along the street right-of-ways in Ludington concealing important signs three different times on the e-waves, and in my regular correspondence with City Manager Shay, and nothings been done, so don't worry about me mentioning the trees ; )

Thanks for the agreement on the west-going driver. BTW, did you hear about a local motorcycle ride on July 31 to raise money for child abuse prevention? I saw a flyer on the Dessert Barn in Scottville about this this afternoon and thought of you and your passion for motorcycles.