Update: Pedestrian hit at 16th/Roxbury

(thanks to Mona for the photo)
We’re checking on something happening at 16th/Roxbury (map) – there was a brief medic call to 15th/Roxbury, it closed, but Mona just sent word of a big fire/police presence in the area, and we got a call from Kevin too. More as soon as we confirm info. Avoid the area in the meantime. 8:11 PM UPDATE: This is on the King County side of White Center – King County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating; they say a man was hit by a car in the intersection – the driver told investigators he never saw the man. The man’s been taken to Harborview Medical Center. The Roxbury/16th/15th area is still closed at last report so avoid the area.

Adam March 17, 2009 (7:59 pm)

I rode past on my way home. I saw three ambulances, two fire trucks, and a couple police cars. I saw one person laid out on the ground, mostly covered up, surrounded by EMTs. One lone dirty shoe was lying 20 feet away from them amidst the emergency vehicles… If I had to guess I’d say they were hit by a car. There were even more ghetto people than usual milling around the 15th/Roxbury area leering.

Adam March 17, 2009 (8:00 pm)

And, I forgot the most telling thing: a crime scene photographer was shooting away.

FullTilt March 17, 2009 (9:30 pm)

“There were even more ghetto people than usual milling around”

That was necessary?

JanS March 17, 2009 (9:37 pm)

Adam..totally out of line…it does nothing to describe what was happening at the intersection. We didn’t need anything more as descriptors than “people”…wow…

I hope the person who was hit is OK…thoughts and prayers going out to him and his family.

lina March 17, 2009 (9:48 pm)

i agree with FullTilt, that was a lame comment Adam.

homedk March 17, 2009 (10:00 pm)

So sorry to hear this. My heart goes out to the victim & their loved ones. I also feel sorry for the driver & to those in the neighborhood that witnessed the accident or the aftermath; incidents like this are not easily forgotten.

With regard to the first comment from Adam, I agree with the comments that followed. The terms “ghetto people” & “leering” seem totally ill-chosen, inappropriate, biased & mean-spirited. What if the stunned bystanders include the pedestrian’s friends/family?

There was a pedestrian hit in our neighborhood last year. Concerned neighbors & passers-by stopped & gathered. I think that’s a totally appropriate & caring reaction.

HAHA March 17, 2009 (10:14 pm)

I agree with Adam.

Adam March 17, 2009 (10:37 pm)

Fulltilt: Sorry, maybe “Ghetto people” was unnecessary, let me quote the white center blog: “Vagrants, thugs, drug dealers and chronic alcoholics … criminals and miscreants … registered sex offender, obviously using his “homeless” status to keep from registering” (http://whitecenternow.com/2009/03/11/the-worst-blocks-in-white-center/)

What term would you prefer me to use? “People that both you and I wish were not in our neighborhood”? I have nothing against racial diversity. I do not believe “ghetto” has any racial connotation – if it does I truly am sorry. I have something against people hooting and hollering a few feet away from someone lying on the ground fighting for life.

I was trying to describe a scene where the people hanging around were *not* those that I’d want to encounter on a quiet, dark street.

Adam March 17, 2009 (11:12 pm)

I realized that people may have misunderstood me and thought that I was calling *everyone* at the scene ghetto. That is not the case. I was only referring to the people I noticed, those that were treating it like their own personal block party. From now on I will be more clear and use the phrase “Unsavory multicultural drug-dealing alcoholic vagrant subculture.” Does that adequately describe the inhabitants of 15th ave SW at Bartells and south?

homedk March 17, 2009 (11:28 pm)

To me the term “ghetto” has connotations of class & race; and your use of the term “leering” also seemed subjective.

Apologies if I misunderstood your intent, Adam…but it seemed like you were mixing personal biases together with facts.

Adam March 17, 2009 (11:42 pm)

I do admit to being agitated when I had just arrived home after witnessing the scene. I was trying my best to describe what I had seen. A component of that was the people that were having altogether too good a time standing right near where someone was still lying on the ground being tended to by EMTs. These appeared to be the same element that hang out in the “dead zone” on 15th SW. I assume that all the flashing lights and sirens lured them to the scene. I’ll try to use less inflammatory wording next time.

Nick Mllnar March 17, 2009 (11:46 pm)

Ghetto doesn’t have racial connotations. It is a place where a group of similar people live, usually in poverty. We have student ghettos, seniors ghettos, as well as the ones divided by race. All the people who live in the ghetto are going to take on more prominent characteristics of their groups culture, because they’re immersed in it. Seems like a fair, specific, description.

homedk March 18, 2009 (12:24 am)

Adam, thanks for taking the time to consider our comments & clarify. I totally understand how an incident like this can cause agitation.

Nick, you have a point about other types of ghettos…but for many, the word ghetto does brings to mind racial & economic connotations.

JanS March 18, 2009 (1:28 am)

Adam…I understand what you were trying to say…thanks for clarifying…people who turn tragedies like this into their “own private block party” are, to me, ignorant pigs (yes, another inflammatory statement). I have no use for people who have little respect for someone else’s life. Yes, what if some of this person’s family had been there witnessing it..as these people laughed it up ( I wasn’t there, so only have heresay). Thanks again for the clarification. I would have been upset, too.

P. Feller March 18, 2009 (5:00 am)

Adam is correct in calling the majority of people here ‘Ghetto people’. Those who are not of that ‘type’ don’t hang around that corner any longer than necessary.

I live one block from there and I constantly refer to the area as the Ghetto. It is as close as we have to a ghetto here in WA.
If police would spend a bit of time busting (yes and harrassing) those who are obviously up to no good then maybe, just maybe the area would stop being a ghetto.

Babs March 18, 2009 (6:50 am)

Adam called it correct and was quite poetical with his words.

GreenSpaces March 18, 2009 (7:14 am)

I love conversations like these because even just casual readers are forced to consider their own biases that are not obvious in normal every day life. It is an education.

Michelle March 18, 2009 (8:39 am)

I came on the WSB today to see if I could write a note about pedestrian safety and I see this article.

I cannot stress to people how important it is to EXPECT pedestrians to be at crosswalks.

Yesterday around 6:15pm I was driving on Trenton towards QFC. Another car and I had stopped to allow a young teen to cross the street.

As he was crossing, a luxury SUV came barreling down on my tail and swerved around my right in order to pass me. I thought he was going to plow right over that teenage boy.

Somehow I managed to find my horn. I’m not sure if my horn helped but the driver saw the boy in time and had to slam on his brakes. Certainly gave me and the boy a scare! After the boy managed to cross the street the SUV sped up and, I kid you not, stopped no more than 200 yards further – parking across from the playfield.

So people…just a reminder, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE watch out for pedestrians. Spring is coming and more and more people are going to be out there. Getting to your destination 2 minutes faster is not worth running over someone. And if it’s really that big of an emergency, maybe you should be using emergency services.

I’ll get off my soapbox now. Thank you.

TeresaP March 18, 2009 (9:32 am)

That corner of White Ceter is what it is people. I refuse to drive through there if it is after 1100pm and I am on my way home. The last time I did, it was after midnight and that corner was full of gang bangers and other sorts of low life losers. They were extremely loud, drinking and for a second there, I was actually afraid they would attempt to hi-jack my car. Some of them yelled at me after I simply observed them for the few minutes the light was red. I made no gestures whatsoever, was simply watching them.
If some of you are insulted by the word ghetto, the I suggest you spend some quality time on that corner and report back to us on your experience.
I certainly hope the person who was hit is ok.

bridge to somewhere March 18, 2009 (9:35 am)

Adam, good post. Informative and descriptive. And funny. I think people who jumped all over you should realize that to truly embrace diversity one must also embrace different points of view and different ways of expressing frustration. Keep up the posts . . .
Now back to topic: Michelle, extremely good point. I have been in a similar situation to what you describe, and it’s extremely scary for all parties involved.

T-rex March 18, 2009 (9:37 am)

I live near the White Center area and have to agree with Adam, although with less agitation. At any given time there are at least 40-50 drunks along 15th and 16th. The KC sheriffs are always out dealing with these people but probably have their hands tied with public intoxication. Have you seen the size of their office? It’s about the size of a small cafe. They would need the entire roller rink to detain these people, and for what, just overnight.

GenHillOne March 18, 2009 (11:16 am)

At the risk of a threadjack…Michelle brings up a good point about Trenton. It’s spring and SWAC is in full swing. Yesterday alone, there was a Seattle Lutheran baseball game, softball game (also SL?), and Sealth baseball practice going on at once. In all likelihood, soccer and/or track practice was also on the other side. In addition to the high schools, the Rainiers baseball club also uses SWAC. With all that, plus visiting teams, there are a LOT of pedestrians, busses, and cars, many who may be “tourists” trying to find the place, so a little extra caution is a good thing.

Mat March 18, 2009 (12:34 pm)

This must be the most civilized and thoughtful set of comments I’ve read on the internet for a while. Kudos to everyone for being so adult & respectful about it all, I’m really impressed (seriously). I’ve given up commenting thanks to all the trolls & strange folk who seem to dominate this space (I’m thinking other sites, this is my first visit to WS Blog) all too often.