Mt. Lebanon woman dies after being struck by SUV (Washington: school, living)

[caroline2]

Woman dies after being struck by SUV

As usual, the driver is hardly an upstanding citizen who had an uncharacteristic and tragic moment of distraction. It was a piece of human garbage who managed to rack up an astonishing number of reckless driving charges in at most four years of having a license. This time he ran a stop sign, most likely high on pot, and mowed down a mother walking her two kids in a stroller.

But I wanted to talk more generally about the pattern of pedestrian vehicular assault and manslaughter on Rt. 19 in Mt. Lebanon. You could claim that this one incident is isolated, except that it's not: according to KDKA, 3 people have been killed and 44 (44!) hit on that stretch in just the last 5 years! That is insane. Why is a community that prides itself on "walkability" and in fact requires kids to walk to school not furiously agitating to make its roads safer for itself and its kids?

[Honest Bob]

The news report also failed to say that she was texting when it all happened - but you know how television is - they only tell the part that they want you to hear.
If the problem was that bad on that stretch of road, why wait until now to fix it?

I think if more parents were more responsible and taught their children how to properly cross the road, less people would be getting hit and killed.
But I see people everyday, walking around in a trance, with their eyes glued to the phone - texting while they walk across the street and when they are walking across a parking lot - and they don't care if they get ran over - the phone is more important.

I think they ought to make a law that says that if you get ran over while texting that it is your own dumb fault and that the driver of the car shouldn't be held liable.

[fleetiebelle]

The news report also failed to say that she was texting when it all happened

Give us a citation for this, please.

As usual, the driver is hardly an upstanding citizen who had an uncharacteristic and tragic moment of distraction. It was a piece of human garbage who managed to rack up an astonishing number of reckless driving charges in at most four years of having a license. This time he ran a stop sign, most likely high on pot, and mowed down a mother walking her two kids in a stroller.

I'm hearing Dr. Phil in my head asking his parents "Whah does he still have a car?" Right now he sounds like a spoiled rich kid whose parents aren't paying attention.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by Little Bevis

The news report also failed to say that she was texting when it all happened - but you know how television is - they only tell the part that they want you to hear.

Where did you get that info? I didn't see it in the paper or anywhere on-line.

From what the article says, the kid that hit her was in the wrong and has a history to back it up.



[LEFT]Police said the SUV failed to stop at a stop sign as Mr. Cope turned right onto Washington Road from Beadling when Ms. Styles was struck around noon on Monday.

[/LEFT]

[BrianTH]

We have an odd tendency in our society to treat cases like this as the product of unavoidable and irreducible risk, not issues of public policy. And of course acknowledging the magnitude of deaths and injuries associated with cars would challenge many common assumptions and assertions about what sort of lifestyle and living circumstances are most conducive to the physical safety of ourselves and our children.

[airwair]

Originally Posted by Little Bevis

The news report also failed to say that she was texting when it all happened

Never heard that. At all.

[BrianTH]

Oh, and she was jogging with a double-stroller. It isn't entirely impossible she was also texting at the same time, but I think it is reasonable to require a lot more proof than a bare assertion before accepting that claim.

[robrobrob]

I figured there was something else to the story. It just didn't make sense to me that the driver just plowed into her.

I feel very sorry for her family.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

I figured there was something else to the story. It just didn't make sense to me that the driver just plowed into her.

It happens all the time, particularly when drivers are distracted or intoxicated. They focus in on looking for other cars, and just don't see pedestrians, bicyclists, and so on.

[gallacus]

Originally Posted by Little Bevis

I think they ought to make a law that says that if you get ran over while texting that it is your own dumb fault and that the driver of the car shouldn't be held liable.

Hmmm, a little insensitive, no?