By Jorge Casuso

February 10, 2012 -- A teenage boy seems to have been seriously injured Thursday when he was struck by a motorist while crossing Ocean Park Boulevard, according to a witness.

The victim seemed to be wearing headphones and may have been texting when he was hit while walking southbound in the crosswalk on 14th Street, said Joe Nocoletti, a resident of Ocean Park who witnessed the accident.

The vehicle, which was travelling westbound, did not seem to have skidded when it hit the pedestrian at approximately 12:15 p.m.

"I looked up and the kid was coming down to the ground from the air, Nicoletti said. "The windshield was cracked and caved in. The kid was bleeding from the head.

"Everybody came out of the woodwork to immediately help this kid," Nicoletti said.

There were 135 vehicle and pedestrian collisions between February 4, 2006 and February 11, 2011, according to data compiled by Mihai Peteu, an avid cyclist who decided to collaborate with Bikeside LA to gather and display the public data.

One of the collisions was fatal, 97 resulted in injuries and seven did not result in anyone being hurt, according to the data. Of the 135 collisions, 25 were considered felonies and 5 misdemeanors.
("What Are Santa Monica's Most Dangerous Intersections?" December 21, 2011)

The Santa Monica Police Department advises pedestrians to remember six common rules:

• Be alert and look both ways.
• Cross at controlled intersections.
• Don’t rush out into the street.
• Don’t start across until you’re sure the vehicle is stopping.
• Make eye contact with the driver.
• Wear bright clothing that makes you more visible to drivers.

The Police Department has produced a nine minute video titled “Be Safe, Be Seen” as an educational tool for all pedestrians, especially seniors and tourists. View Video.

"The goal is to raise awareness so that seniors and visitors to Santa Monica will consciously think about safety and take extra precautions," according to a department statement.

"The video illustrates some common misconceptions, reminds us of the rules we tend to forget and discusses California laws that may be unfamiliar to visitors."

In addition to the video, the department also has produced a 60-second Public Service Announcement starring Santa Monica Resident June Lockhart of "Lassie" fame and other Santa Monica pedestrians.