A 12-year-old Lynnwood boy received what appeared to be a minor leg injury Tuesday afternoon when he slid into the wheel of a turning Edmonds Police Department patrol car just after 2:30 p.m. at an intersection near College Place Middle School. The boy skidded into the car as he applied brakes in an attempt to stop before entering the intersection, police said.
Here’s the full Edmonds Police Department release:
On Tuesday, November 16, 2010, at 2:38 p.m., a 46-year old Edmonds Police officer was on routine patrol driving a fully marked police car. The officer, a 12-year veteran of the department, stopped his police car at the stop sign westbound on 210th St. SW at the intersection of 76th Ave. W. As the vehicular traffic cleared, the officer began a right-hand turn onto 76th Ave. W. At the same time, a 12-year old Lynnwood boy was riding a bicycle southbound on the sidewalk, on the east side of 76th Ave. W. The boy was approaching 210th St. SW when he apparently observed the police car pulling into traffic, so he applied the bicycle’s brakes in an attempt to stop. The bicycle slid from the sidewalk into the roadway where it collided with the right front corner of the car. The boy suffered what appeared to be a minor leg injury. He was transported to an Edmonds hospital for further examination but was released later in the afternoon. The police investigation continues.
What’s next, telephone poles hitting cars?
So in other words, the cop made a right turn in front of a kid who was attempting to cross the street., and the kid had to slam on his brakes at the last minute. Why didn’t the cop wait for the kid to cross before making his turn? I’m guessing he didn’t see the boy coming?
Jeezus. Nice framing. Is cop your brother or something.
What’s wrong with “cop hits kid” ?
We didn’t witness this accident so have included the police report. If anyone saw what happened and has a different story, please add it.
I hope the boy will be okay. I also have compassion for the driver.
At about the same age, my own son scared the daylights out of a driver by entering a street very quickly while riding his bicycle on the sidewalk. The car, moving about 1 mile an hour, made contact with his bicycle, my son meanwhile had jumped off and landed on his feet, uninjured. Everyone was shook up, but my son and all the neighbor families came to have a new level of understanding about the risks and responsibilities for bike riders.
As a driver, I understand that “the law” allows bicyclists to use sidewalks on either side of the street. So…. just as this driver was doing…. making a right turn after a stop sign, you can “think” that it’s safe to proceed, because there is no one within “pedestrian walking distance” of the intersection. And then a bicyclist comes along the sidewalk, Too Fast, and expects to be able to ride in the crosswalk across the street.
Yes, I know that there are words in “the law” about the legal speed for bicyclists using sidewalks and crosswalks, but when there is a collision between car and bicycle or pedestrian, it doesn’t help most drivers’ peace of mind if the pedestrian or bicycle was “at fault.”
As a driver, I make drivers behind me crazy sometimes when I do not take a right turn on a red light where there is limited visibility along sidewalks, or when I proceed very slowly after the stop sign where there is limited visibility along sidewalks. I need to see that the intersection is clear for a distance that accommodates fast bicycle riders.
I am not happy that this incident happened at all. But if it had to happen, I am glad that it happened with a police car. Honestly, I would love to see more tickets written for the bicyclists and pedestrians whose unsafe, and illegal, practices place their own safety at risk. No I do not want this kid getting a ticket.
Thanks for reading. Thanks for driving, walking, and riding with safety and consideration. When you’re the driver that yields to a pedestrian, I’m the one that waves and says thank you.
@a Parent…..well reasoned, it is an issue for all concerned and you presented the problems well. Thank you.
Drivers need to learn to see pedestrians and cyclists. Simple as that. I “slid” into a car once at about 20mph. Broke my bike and a few body parts. I was riding to work on a smaller road, blinkies front and rear, wearing a flourescent vest, in broad day light, when a car suddenly turn left, without signalling, from the opposite direction onto my path at the last fraction of a second. We live in a car culture, with little thought for the environment, the side walks, or people in them. How many times have you seen cars parking on the sidewalks? texting? phoning? not looking at the road? All are illegal, but no one cares. Learn to pay attention, and always yield to people without a ton of metal around them, and hope the habit sticks. Nah! too much to ask on your “freedom”
I saw the whole thing happen on my way to work. From the cops view he can only see the traffic not the pedestrian traffic on the side walk. Also the stop line is a good 4 feet from the sidewalk. Though I cannot confirm or deny that the cop actually stopped at the required stop line, I would sure hope so seeing as how he was in between two school zones.
The thing that angered me most was the fact that after it happened it old took 90 seconds for 3 more officers to show up and ask if medics had been dispatched. It took almost 4 more minuets for aid to show up. That tells me that they’re too many enforcement officers and not enough aid. Come on he was 2 blocks from the hospital he was taken to. I know for a fact that there is multiple fire station within 2 miles from where this happened.
In my eyes the cop should have been paying more attention just because that street is a busy pedestrian traffic street 3 schools on that stretch of 76th ave.
Open your eyes he will not get punished but be rewarded for actions after the fact.
I’m glad I read this so I can familiarize myself with local bicycle laws. Where I grew up, it was illegal under any circumstance for bicyclists to use a sidewalk. If there was a bike lane you had to use that. If there was no bike lane, you were treated like (and expected to ride like) a motorcyclist. I.e. use traffic lanes, no lane sharing, obey all traffic laws, etc. If you were on the sidewalk, using crosswalks, etc, you were required to get off the bike and walk it. I just assumed that was the same everywhere. Shame on me for not checking.
Most of the time I assume that an emergency vehicle might be going somewhere in a second. Sometimes it becomes a standoff.
Some of what the kids do on bicycles just scares
me to death.
I’m not saying it was necessarily the cops fault, and perhaps I’m overly sensitive to this sort of spin in the local rags, but it seems like you were awfully quick to write your headline in deference to a very biased source.
Here’s the view of the intersection. Clearly sight-lines are impeded, and this is just the sort of thing that makes it extremely dangerous to ride on sidewalks. That said, your are in front of a daycare with schools all around – take a gander before rolling through the stop sign, for all of our sakes.
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=210th+and+76th+lynnwood&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&safe=images&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=&hnear=76th+Ave+W+%26+210th+St+SW,+Edmonds,+Snohomish,+Washington+98026&ll=47.808756,-122.335765&spn=0.001212,0.001438&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=47.808747,-122.335613&panoid=WT6fC_L6Y3PDG6Tb8WjkZw&cbp=12,322.22,,0,39.46
There was no intent to spin anything but there is a difference between hitting someone as TV reports stated (and they weren’t there when it happened either) and having someone run into you, as police stated. Do appreciate the eyewitness report.
I saw the scene just after it happened. Police Car on top of front wheel of bike, in a crosswalk. Sent chills up my spine. Looked like a clear case of a California stop while looking the other way. Anyone of us would be behind bars or at least a real nice ticket or two. This guy gets a nice check.
WOW! There’s some serious Monday morning quarterbacking giong on here. For a whole bunch of folks who weren’t there, and have no idea what happened, it seems that you’ve all concluded thtat this was clearly the officer’s fault. Must be comforting for the police to know they can count on a little support from the community they serve. How about a little neutrality, at least, folks?
I saw it too.Im wondering why the boy was not wearing helmet?Kids think they are indestructible these days
I submit my advice for much safer passage by all.
5 1950’s Ford co. safety rules:
1. Aim high in steering
2. Get the big picture
3. Make sure of the other driver
4. Keep your eyes moving
5. always leae yoursdel an out
My adaptations:
1. As a cyclist or pedestrian follow these rrules
2. Move away from other vehicles, especially larger ones.
3. Avoid taxis, 18 wheelers, and erratic drivers
4. Maintain 2 1/2 second following distance in
These rules will prevent most accidents, including this one.
If I attempted to follow those rules, I wouldn’t be able to leave my driveway.
Which, I will grant you, would prevent accidents!