West Seattle: Think Of The Impact You Could Make

Those new signs sure don't seem to be doing the trick.

Tatsuo Nakata, chief of staff for council member David Della, was killed by a West Seattle motorist while walking in a marked crosswalk. He sustained major head injuries as a result of being run down, and died in the hospital Tuesday afternoon.

This morning, an 11-year-old boy was hit in a crosswalk on his way to West Seattle's Madison Middle School. "It appears that the driver of the vehicle did not realize the boy was crossing the street," reports the P-I.

In the case of Nakata's collision, the West Seattle Blog notes that "there was a petition drive just a few months ago for a light at that very spot."

To which we say, lights schmights. When it's rainy and dark in Seattle, pedestrians take their lives in their hands every time they cross the street. Any street, marked crosswalk or not. Crabby, rushed drivers coast past stoplines while making rolling stops, looking only for oncoming traffic, their heads craned that one direction. We rap on their hoods to get their attention.

We were once nearly run down by a crazed woman in an SUV who was upset that we were crossing the street during the break in traffic when she could make a lefthand turn. She drove straight at us and flipped us off as she passed.

Two nights ago, in the all-time classic case of Seattle passive/aggressive pique, we noticed someone jaywalking through a Capitol Hill crosswalk (Harrison at 15th Ave E). Rather than honk (so noisy!) or slow down (lose 15 seconds?), the SUV driver sped up and cut the corner so they could almost brush the pedestrian as they passed. It sends a signal, see?

UPDATE: Oops, I Hit A Pedestrian is now showing downtown, too.