TWO MORE ELDERLY PEOPLE MOWED DOWN WHILE THEY WERE WALKING IN THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK. SITE OF REDONDO BEACH, CA DEADLY BUS CRASH KNOWN FOR NEAR-HITS
February 6, 2015
REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA:
Redondo
Beach Police on the scene of a fatal bus crash at the corner of Avenue I and
Catalina Ave. Two pedestrians, one man was killed and and woman was taken to
the hospital.
Business
owners facing the Riviera Village crosswalk where a bus struck two
pedestrians Wednesday night, killing one, questioned if more safety
measures are needed at an intersection they say has long been unsafe and poorly
lit.
The couple
crossing Avenue I just east of Catalina Avenue about 6:15 p.m. were hit and
then trapped underneath a Los Angeles Department of Transportation commuter bus
after it turned east off of Catalina Avenue. Allen Shall, 83, of Torrance, died
at the scene. His wife Lynn, 70, was extricated and is in serious condition in
an intensive care unit at a local hospital. Details about her injuries were not
disclosed.
Police
continue to investigate but said that driving under the influence is not
suspected. It appears to be a tragic accident, authorities said.
The
accident came as little surprise to Justin Taylor, whose family owns Grace and
Greene, an eco-friendly boutique steps from where the crash happened in the
quaint shopping area of Riviera Village.
“I’m
surprised there haven’t been more accidents,” he said. “I’ve seen people almost
get hit by cars and cars almost hitting each other frequently. Every day, cars
are honking at each other.”
Taylor and
several other shop owners near the intersection said the Village as a whole is
not well lit, and cars often struggle to see pedestrians due to the poor
lighting, large planters and other streetscaping at every corner.
“I think
the driver just did not see two elderly people in the crosswalk. I think it was
truly an accident,” said Michelle VonKannon, who owns The Monogram Shoppe,
which faces the scene of the collision. “There’s not a lot of light, and I
think it was just the wrong place at the wrong time. I feel sorry for everyone
involved.”
Redondo
Beach investigators said they still have not determined if the couple were
already in the crosswalk when the bus turned, or if they walked out in front of
the bus.
The bus was
on its route at the time of the crash, but no one on board was injured,
according to Tina Backstrom, an LADOT spokeswoman.
Police said
they will review the dashboard camera inside the bus, which shows the view of
the driver, she said.
“LADOT is
deeply saddened by the unfortunate traffic collision,” Backstrom said. “LADOT
and (bus operator) MV Transportation are cooperating fully with the Redondo
Beach Police Department and will supply any information needed for the
investigation.”
The driver
cooperated Wednesday night and was released by police, she said Thursday.
Lindsay
Shelton, manager of HT Grill across the street from where the collision
happened, said she and several others witnessed the crash during the busy
dinner rush, but many people were not able to provide much detail.
“We were
all here, but it happened really fast,” she said. “I don’t think any of us had
time to register what was happening.”
Shelton
said the intersection has been known for incidents — a female bicyclist was hit
by a car there last summer, but she walked away — but nothing as serious as
Wednesday night.
The
intersection is controlled by a flashing red light on Catalina and stop signs
on Avenue I.
Police said
the intersection has not been known as the site of any major vehicle vs.
pedestrian accidents in recent years. More specific data for that area was not
immediately available.
“I don’t
know what else they could do. It’s not busy enough for a full stoplight,”
Taylor said.
But shop
employees, including Anita Sweatt, pondered if something could be done —
perhaps speed bumps along Avenue I or even a lighted crosswalk.
“I’ll take
anything if it’s going to save a life,” Sweatt said.