5yo hit and killed in Brookland last night

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a very careful driver, but the one time I almost hit a child was while driving a van. It is up very high and children can actually be well below the dashboard. In my case, a child ran around the back of their parked car while the mother was getting a sibling out of the other side. I slammed on the brakes instantly. The child fell, but I hadn’t hit him. He was just startled. He was crying and I was crying. The mom was very shaken, too, but emphasized it wasn’t my fault. It was a long time before I felt comfortable restarting the van and leaving the scene.

I'm sorry this happened.

I frequently drill my kids that can and trucks and buses and high SUVs have huge blind spots, and you can't be directly in front or behind. But I don't have confidence that they truly get it.

The driving around Bethune is pretty bad. Drop off and pickup at that intersection and surrounding blocks are full of distracted drivers.

And in general, people tear down 14th Street. They might show down at crosswalks, but almost never fully stop and when they do it's almost always in front of the stop line. I'm heartbroken for that family who lost their child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A five year old on a scooter or bike should be on the sidewalk or right next to a parent. Unless the van was driving on the sidewalk, I don't know why you would assume it was the driver's fault.

Of course it is the driver's fault. Don't be an idiot.

It's a four-way crosswalk with no lights and 7PM at night. I'm guessing the driver didn't see the tiny 5-year-old and the parent wasn't close enough to wave the car off.

Not anyone's fault.

It is still daylight at 7pm this time of year.

Wrong. Sunset is at 7:19PM today. You have no idea if the kid was hit at 7:05PM or 7:35PM or 7:59PM. Either way visibility is diminished.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A five year old on a scooter or bike should be on the sidewalk or right next to a parent. Unless the van was driving on the sidewalk, I don't know why you would assume it was the driver's fault.

Of course it is the driver's fault. Don't be an idiot.

It's a four-way crosswalk with no lights and 7PM at night. I'm guessing the driver didn't see the tiny 5-year-old and the parent wasn't close enough to wave the car off.

Not anyone's fault.

It is still daylight at 7pm this time of year.

Wrong. Sunset is at 7:19PM today. You have no idea if the kid was hit at 7:05PM or 7:35PM or 7:59PM. Either way visibility is diminished.

It was just before 7.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A five year old on a scooter or bike should be on the sidewalk or right next to a parent. Unless the van was driving on the sidewalk, I don't know why you would assume it was the driver's fault.

Of course it is the driver's fault. Don't be an idiot.

It's a four-way crosswalk with no lights and 7PM at night. I'm guessing the driver didn't see the tiny 5-year-old and the parent wasn't close enough to wave the car off.

Not anyone's fault.

If you hit someone in a crosswalk as a driver it is ALWAYS YOUR FAULT.

[Anonymous]

This is so sad. My kids walk or bike to school and honestly it’s kind of terrifying. Drivers are so focused on getting where they are going as fast as possible and do not care about pedestrians or cyclists. I’m gutted thinking of this family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it appropriate to tell your 5-year-old about something like this? Mine has been good about waiting for me at intersections but I wonder if one day he's going to get a crazy idea and decide he can cross by himself.

Yes, but in broad strokes. “People can get hurt very badly and possibly even die if they get hit by a car. You have to be careful every single time you step onto the street, especially because you’re smaller than an adult and harder to see. You have to be extra, extra careful if it’s dark or raining because then it’s even harder for drivers to see you.”

I taught my kids never to chase a ball into the street. Playing ends at the sidewalk. My teens still recite back to me “I can easily replace a ball, but I can never replace you.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it appropriate to tell your 5-year-old about something like this? Mine has been good about waiting for me at intersections but I wonder if one day he's going to get a crazy idea and decide he can cross by himself.

I am also wondering about this.

We live in the neighborhood and I’m waiting to learn if we know the family. The neighborhood Facebook group moderators have been removing all the posts about it. I know we are not close to them but know many families from the playground, etc. I think if we need to explain to our 5 year old about someone she knows we will handle it differently than just reinforcing the need to wait at intersections.

[Anonymous]

This is so sad. My heart hurts for her parents right now.

We all need to be more alert when driving.
We all need to teach our children to stop and wait for us at a crossing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A five year old on a scooter or bike should be on the sidewalk or right next to a parent. Unless the van was driving on the sidewalk, I don't know why you would assume it was the driver's fault.

Of course it is the driver's fault. Don't be an idiot.

It's a four-way crosswalk with no lights and 7PM at night. I'm guessing the driver didn't see the tiny 5-year-old and the parent wasn't close enough to wave the car off.

Not anyone's fault.

This thinking is so false. When moving through a four way crosswalk intersection you need to be INCREDIBLY careful. The onus is on YOU to check that the crosswalks are clear. Yes, this was an accident. But the fault lies with the driver if the victim was in the crosswalk. If the victim was jay-walking, it is the pedestrian's fault. This is the entire reason we HAVE crosswalks. To protect pedestrians.

[Anonymous]

Who cares whose fault it is, a child is dead! Pedestrians and bikers need to stop worrying about their rights and worry about staying alive. Yes, a car is absolutely supposed to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk, but sometimes they don't. You shouldn't just start walking through a crosswalk (even though it's your right) without making sure the car sees you and is going slowly enough to stop. Would you rather be right or alive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A five year old on a scooter or bike should be on the sidewalk or right next to a parent. Unless the van was driving on the sidewalk, I don't know why you would assume it was the driver's fault.

Of course it is the driver's fault. Don't be an idiot.

Pedestrian accidents are rarely the drivers fault.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A five year old on a scooter or bike should be on the sidewalk or right next to a parent. Unless the van was driving on the sidewalk, I don't know why you would assume it was the driver's fault.

Of course it is the driver's fault. Don't be an idiot.

It's a four-way crosswalk with no lights and 7PM at night. I'm guessing the driver didn't see the tiny 5-year-old and the parent wasn't close enough to wave the car off.

Not anyone's fault.

This thinking is so false. When moving through a four way crosswalk intersection you need to be INCREDIBLY careful. The onus is on YOU to check that the crosswalks are clear. Yes, this was an accident. But the fault lies with the driver if the victim was in the crosswalk. If the victim was jay-walking, it is the pedestrian's fault. This is the entire reason we HAVE crosswalks. To protect pedestrians.

That is not true.

A walker, even when using a crosswalk, must stop before entering the crosswalk to ensure cars can see them. You can't just enter a crosswalk without caution or stopping 1st.

If you are jogging and immediately go into a crosswalk without stopping 1st, you are in the wrong.
If you are walking and turn to enter a crosswalk without stopping 1st, you are in the wrong.

Drivers can not read your mind. Drivers can't stop when somebody darts into a crosswalk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A five year old on a scooter or bike should be on the sidewalk or right next to a parent. Unless the van was driving on the sidewalk, I don't know why you would assume it was the driver's fault.

Of course it is the driver's fault. Don't be an idiot.

It's a four-way crosswalk with no lights and 7PM at night. I'm guessing the driver didn't see the tiny 5-year-old and the parent wasn't close enough to wave the car off.

Not anyone's fault.

If you hit someone in a crosswalk as a driver it is ALWAYS YOUR FAULT.

You are wrong.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have information about what actually happened?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A five year old on a scooter or bike should be on the sidewalk or right next to a parent. Unless the van was driving on the sidewalk, I don't know why you would assume it was the driver's fault.

Of course it is the driver's fault. Don't be an idiot.

It's a four-way crosswalk with no lights and 7PM at night. I'm guessing the driver didn't see the tiny 5-year-old and the parent wasn't close enough to wave the car off.

Not anyone's fault.

This thinking is so false. When moving through a four way crosswalk intersection you need to be INCREDIBLY careful. The onus is on YOU to check that the crosswalks are clear. Yes, this was an accident. But the fault lies with the driver if the victim was in the crosswalk. If the victim was jay-walking, it is the pedestrian's fault. This is the entire reason we HAVE crosswalks. To protect pedestrians.

That is not true.

A walker, even when using a crosswalk, must stop before entering the crosswalk to ensure cars can see them. You can't just enter a crosswalk without caution or stopping 1st.

If you are jogging and immediately go into a crosswalk without stopping 1st, you are in the wrong.
If you are walking and turn to enter a crosswalk without stopping 1st, you are in the wrong.

Drivers can not read your mind. Drivers can't stop when somebody darts into a crosswalk.

Both drivers and pedestrians need to behave as though it’s their responsibility to keep the pedestrians safe. If both parties do that, there will only be freak accidents.