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First responders were dispatched to the intersection of 1st Avenue Main Street for a report of car-versus-pedestrian incident about 4:30pm today, March 4th.
According to Whatcom County Fire District 7 Division Chief Ben Boyko, they treated 2 patients at the scene. An adult female and a child were evaluated and released at the scene.
Ferndale Police Sergeant Travis Card said in an email the responding officer determined a Chevrolet Venture had been stopped northbound on 1st Avenue at the stop sign waiting to make a right-turn onto Main Street heading eastbound. While the driver was looking west waiting for traffic to clear, the woman and her young child began to cross 1st Avenue from the east in the marked crosswalk. When traffic cleared, the driver of the vehicle began to make his turn and failed to see the woman and her child in the crosswalk. The front bumper of the vehicle struck the woman and caused her to fall, which possibly caused the child to fall as well.
Card said the woman was treated at the scene for what appeared to be minor injuries and the child appeared to be uninjured. The driver was listed as being at fault for failing to yield to the pedestrians and was given a verbal warning.
Please Ferndale – put that light back in! Hopefully everyone is okay!
That is a very dangerous intersection since the light has been removed. Something needs to be done ASAP!
Let’s wait for the “further details” before we jump on knee-jerk responses.
It seems that a blinking red light may be the answer or another round about
A stoplight would have not have prevented this incident as it is reported. The driver stopped for the stop sign on 1st, then drove on while ignoring pedestrians entering the crosswalk. Whether the driver stopped for a stoplight or a stop sign makes no difference. The cause was an inattentive driver.
The problem at that intersection, if there is one, is pedestrians crossing Main, not 1st. That could be solved by a flashing crosswalk, but I can’t recall seeing pedestrians waiting to cross Main at that intersection, so I question if even a flashing crosswalk is needed.
Putting in a light at Main and 1st would not have prevented this incident and would only further impede traffic flow on Main, which is already terrible.