Pedestrian Struck by Pickup

By Lookout Staff

A woman whose identity has not yet been determined was gravely injured Wednesday morning when she was struck by a pickup truck while jaywalking across Ocean Avenue, according to police.

The woman, believed to be in her mid to late 20s, was rushed to Santa Monica-UCLA Health Center for treatment of her injuries, said Lt. Gary F. Gallinot of the Santa Monica Police Department.

"She is in critical condition and we have yet to identify her," Gallinot said.

The woman is believed to have crossed west to east across Ocean Avenue's 1400 block, about 40 feet from a crosswalk, Gallinot said.

The driver of the pickup truck will not be charged, Gallinot said, because the primary cause of the accident was the jaywalking violation.

While the unidentified woman clings to life, police have found that in most fatal accidents involving pedestrians in Santa Monica, pedestrians are at fault.

Of the 24 vehicle accidents where pedestrians were killed between 1994 to 1999, investigators found that 17 accidents were the fault of pedestrians, according to a report compiled by Police Chief James T. Butts and submitted to the City Council last month. Pedestrian fatalities accounted for more than half of the 48 fatal traffic collisions during that period.

Of the three traffic-related fatalities last year all involved pedestrians. In two of the accidents, police found the pedestrians were at fault. In the third case, "the pedestrian's actions significantly contributed to the collision," according to the report.