A woman hit by a car as she jaywalked across Wilshire Boulevard Tuesday afternoon was in critical condition at a local trauma center, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
The accident happened about 1:30 p.m. and temporarily closed Wilshire's eastbound lanes near Centinela Avenue, said police spokesman Sgt. Richard Lewis.
The victim was identified as 42-years-old with an out-of-state residence.
Lewis said she was jaywalking southbound across Wilshire when she was hit by a compact car traveling east.
"They stopped and cooperated," he said of the driver.
The road was reopened by 5 p.m., he said.
Stay connected with Santa Monica Patch throughout the day on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to our free daily newsletter for email updates.
http://www.smmirror.com/articles/News/Woman-Jaywalker-Struck-By-Car-On-Wilshire-Boulevard-In-Santa-Monica/35342
If you are having difficulty negotiating a left turn onto Wilshire or Pico, you might attempt to make your left turns at intersections controlled by a traffic signal. I am entirely at peace to admit my own limitations and/or hesitations at driving in the madness of traffic in the city.
While I agree that the principle fault lies with the jaywalker, the driver of the car could have slowed as he approached the other car that had stopped to yield to the jaywalker. Paying attention to the actions of all vehicles around you should be one of the primary rules of common-sense driving. I applaud the fact that the driver stopped and remained available to provide the police with his side of the story. As was noted in the story, he was not driving impaired and was not cited. Regardless, the jaywalker had to know that she was taking a risk. Perhaps in the past, most cars had stopped to yield right-of-way to her. This might have allowed a misplaced confidence that she could ever come to harm. Regrettably, her luck just ran out in this incident. I do offer hope for her recovery.