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Monday, May 3, 2010

News Another Pedestrian Dies on SE Foster

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Mon, May 3, 2010 at 2:57 PM

Your highway is my crosswalk: SE Foster safety protest, Nov. 2009
  • "Your highway is my crosswalk": SE Foster safety protest, Nov. 2009
A 54-year-old man named Jeffrey Paul Waldrop was struck and killed by a car last night on SE 65th and Foster, just 20 blocks away from where a young Portland women was struck and killed on Foster in November.

After Lindsey Leonard died on Foster last fall, the mayor promised to improve the crosswalk where she was struck. Better lighting and some other improvements have gone in, but obviously Foster is still an unsafe street.

The driver involved in Waldrop's death was driving a Ford pickup and police do not suspect he was drunk or speeding. However, KGW notes that Waldrop was wearing dark clothing, so maybe the crash was his fault because he did not wear the prescribed head-to-toe fluorescent safety jumpsuit required to cross SE Foster.

Seriously, though, my sympathies go out to Waldrop's friends and family. No one should die just crossing the street.

 

Comments (10) RSS

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1
I was there a few minutes after the person was struck. Having lived on or very near Foster Road for six years, and having had a very scary close call where a pedestrian jumped out in front of my car to cross the street no where near a crosswalk, I hope no more people have to die before the city takes this more seriously.

Posted by Williams, Jay on May 3, 2010 at 3:27 PM · Report
2
I'm a pedestrian. I live downtown and don't own a car. Even I'll admit pedestrians appear out of nowhere sometimes. I'm not saying we need to start wearing jumpsuits, but it's prudent to take precautions. I have on occasion used a strobe light on my phone to make sure I'm visible to cars.

Portland can and must improve the safety of our walkways, but I'm from Florida; home to the deadliest street, the deadliest intersection, and the most pedestrian deaths overall. By comparison this place is heavenly, I truly appreciate the effort the city puts in to make us safer.
Posted by Andy Mesa on May 3, 2010 at 8:47 PM · Report
3
This is a lot different than the two woman killed at 80th and foster. They were in a crosswalk for one thing. Mr Paul was crossing Foster at a section that has a lot of people crossing the street between the bars on either side of the street. There are 4 bars in a 1 block area and people start to mingle between them which requires them having to cross Foster. I don't know if Mr Paul had been drinking but I am interested to find out. Not say he deserved this either way, but neither did the guy who hit him. There have been a lot of pedestrians killed along Foster in the last 10 years between 82nd and Powell. If this area is to thrive economically the city is going to have to make this a safer stretch of road.
Posted by lothar on May 4, 2010 at 9:35 AM · Report
4
"...so maybe the crash was his fault because he did not wear the prescribed head-to-toe fluorescent safety jumpsuit required to cross SE Foster."

Pedestrians should always assume the driver is oblivious of anyone not in another automobile, just because you are in a crosswalk doesn't make you any more safe.

Posted by disastronaut on May 4, 2010 at 9:36 AM · Report
5
Yes, fellow commenters, I think we all know personal responsibility is important. But you're missing the point here. Mirk is reflecting on the continued media bias to blame the person walking rather than the person steering the 4000 pound machine.

If there are 4 bars that, god forbid, involve some mingling among people and venues across a busy street, we should be looking at infrastructural solutions to this ongoing problem on Foster. Much better than implying that if you don't wear reflective vests when you're crossing the street, you're at fault.

Thanks, Sarah!
Posted by intersection911 on May 4, 2010 at 3:00 PM · Report
6
Maybe the 4 bars can set up a volunteer roster among bargoers to act as crossing guards? Yes, with the reflective vest and handheld stop sign, ala Bobby Brady.
Posted by bikefor1 on May 4, 2010 at 5:27 PM · Report
7
You didn't know him, but I did. I'll bet he was drunk and didn't care how to get to the next bar, hence jaywalking. I know he use to drive drunk daily. Yes, it is sad someone died, but this one...not so sad.
Posted by kat on May 4, 2010 at 6:06 PM · Report
8
Sarah..I think you miss the point as well. Mr. Paul crossed a busy 4 lane road in the middle of the block when around 200 feet west is a well lit pedestrian crosswalk, and 200 feet east is a well lit intersection that auto cycles with out a vehicle on the transducers and has cross walk lights. Where does infrastructure or the weight of the vehicle figure into in this case?
Posted by lothar on May 5, 2010 at 11:33 AM · Report
9
Why does everyone keep saying crosswalk... Waldrop was NOT in the cross walk. He was J-walking after leaving a bar wearing dark clothing and didnt LOOK before he stepped into the path of the vehicle. Im sorry but if you just walk out into traffic, you ARE going to be hit. Im sorry he had topay the ultimate price, but this was not the vehicles fault. So quick to blame the vehicle.
Posted by fedupBS on May 9, 2010 at 11:26 AM · Report
10
interesting fedup says "blame the vehicle," when s/he probably means "blame the motorist," because in fact it is the vehicle that is to blame. if we did not have private automobiles trawling the streets we would not have all this roadkill. if you are going to drive a car through a neighborhood with four bars in one block, you better slow the hell down. oh, and kat, sorry for your loss.
Posted by rawillis3 on May 10, 2010 at 12:50 PM · Report

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