By Ann K. Williams
Lookout Staff

July 20, 2011 – An 80-year-old woman was struck by a car in the 2600 block of Pico Boulevard Sunday morning. She died of her injuries.

The woman, whose name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, was hit while jaywalking, Santa Monica Police Sgt. Richard Lewis told The Lookout Tuesday.

Lewis said she had tried to visit the Sunset Plaza Liquor store at 2602 Pico Boulevard but it was closed. She then walked west on the south side of Pico Boulevard and tried to cross just east of 26th Street.

She cut a diagonal path toward the crosswalk, but was crossing against a red light, Lewis said. Witnesses yelled at her to stay out of the street, but she was hit by an oncoming car.

The Prius that hit her was driven by an 82-year-old woman, who stopped and cooperated with the police, said Lewis. She was taken to a local hospital, and agreed to have her blood drawn and tested.

“It was a tragic accident,” Lewis said.

Statistics on accidents involving cars and pedestrians in Santa Monica are sobering.

There have been three pedestrian fatalities this year alone.

Between 2000 and 2010, there were 35 pedestrian fatalities, of which 16 were over the age of 65. Six of the drivers were over the age of 65, Investigator Chris Dawson told participants in a city-sponsored pedestrian safety workshop last April.

In 2010, there were 86 accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians, Dawson said. He said that roughly one-third of collisions are hit-and-run.

Bicyclists need to watch out too, Dawson told The Lookout Tuesday. He's been tracking bike accidents this year, and so far there've been 70 crashes – 29 the fault of motor vehicle drivers, 40 the fault of the cyclists, and one equipment failure.

As for pedestrians, “it's dangerous even in the crosswalks,” Lewis told The Lookout.

“This is a pedestrian-rich community,” he added. “We've all got to do our part.”

Cars need to be on the lookout for pedestrians who dart into the street from between parked cars, Lewis said.

Pedestrians need to have their “heads on a swivel,” be alert, and never, ever jaywalk, and cyclists need to follow the same laws as do motor vehicles.

“I don't want to get hit out of priniciple,” Ron Durgin, president of Sustainable Streets, said at the April workshop. “Just because I have the right of way doesn't mean I'm going to take it all the time.”