A driver hit a pedestrian walking across Montana Avenue at 15th street Sunday at 9:05 p.m., according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
Police say the driver was making a left turn onto Montana when the car hit a woman walking northbound in the crosswalk. The driver was traveling under 15 miles an hour when the crash happened and the pedestrian was alert when she was taken to the hospital.
Sgt. Rudy Flores says the pedestrian is in stable condition and recovering.
Nearby shoppers who heard the crash rushed to help and call police, including Santa Monica resident Hillary Kaye who had just parked at the nearby Whole Foods.
“I was sitting in the car and I heard this absolutely horrific sound that I knew was a person being hit,” Kaye said. “It was just so shocking.”
Kaye said the woman who was hit was bleeding. People rushed to bring her blankets and cover her wounds. The driver of the car was cooperative and not cited, according to police. His car has been held for Crash Data Retrieval (CDR) processing.
“He was devastated that he hit her of course. It was horrible,” Kaye said.
So far five pedestrians have been hit and killed by cars in Santa Monica in 2017. In both 2016 and 2015 just one pedestrian was killed. City staff members are drafting a report on the fatal collisions that will go before the City Council May 9, seeking ot pinpoint how the crashes fit into a larger pattern.
In February, the Council approved a Pedestrian Plan that includes Vision Zero, a goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities in the city.
