Walking home with friends, girl, 5, hit and killed by car
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PORTLAND, Ore. – A 5-year-old girl on her way home from a family friend's house was hit and killed by a car Thursday night while trying to cross the street with two other children, according to Portland police.
Morgan Maynard-Cook was hit at Southeast 136th Avenue and Ellis Street just after 7 p.m., police said.
Zach Peterson, 13, was holding the hands of Morgan and his niece while they walked across 136th Avenue across from Morgan's home.
A car stopped for them but Morgan, thinking there were no other cars coming, bolted from Peterson’s hand. She was hit by a four-door Suzuki Sidekick driven by a 69-year-old woman who couldn’t stop in time, said Lt. Chris Davis with the Portland Police Bureau.
"I said, 'No Morgan, wait!" Peterson said. "And a car smacked into her. I saw her go into the hood, and then she flew across the street and landed in the dirt. So I ran over across the street, told my niece to wait on the other side of the street, dropped all my stuff and carried her to (her) house."
Morgan's sister called 911, Davis said.
Police said Morgan died on the way to the hospital.
Morgan's mother, Connie Ruiz, said Morgan was the youngest of seven children and was a kindergartner at Gilbert Park Elementary School.
She described her daughter as funny and smart. "She was so clever and curious and full of life," she said.
Ruiz was still in shock late Thursday night and the tragedy hadn't yet sunk in.
"I don't know what to feel or think. It doesn't seem real," she said.
Ruiz said the area is dangerous and hopes the city will put in a crosswalk and a light. "I'm hoping, really hoping, that the city of whoever is responsible can possibly take a look at putting in a crosswalk, or even a light in. It's very dangerous. There's kids up and down the road all day long."
The Traffic Division's Major Crash Team investigated the crash. Police said the driver remained at the scene and cooperated. Traffic was blocked in the area as police conducted their investigation.
Davis said there is no indication that drugs or alcohol were involved, and it is believed the driver was driving at or below the speed limit.
This version corrects the age of the girl to 5 instead of 4.
Statement from Portland Mayor Charlie Hales
My heart goes out to the family of Morgan. As a parent, I can find no words that are sufficient to describe this horrible occurrence.
My thoughts also are with the Portland Police officers who responded last night. Each of them has family, too, and each is affected by such tragedies in different ways.
Safety throughout the city has to be our first priority. I have been at work fewer than 60 days, and so far the city of Portland has experienced eight automobile-related fatalities, four of which were pedestrian deaths.
There has been a lot of talk of late about paving streets, and about sidewalks and crosswalks throughout our city. There has been a lot of talk about the backlog of projects, and about how to pay for these core responsibilities. As always, public safety has to be our North Star, guiding all of our decisions in every part of the city.
We will work through these decisions together, as involved citizens, as elected officials, as city employees, as residents of Portland, and as people who are holding our families a little bit tighter today.
I have lived in this area for 30 + years. It was rural, but infill happened. 136th has very limited sidewalks, and ditches on the hill. No room for pedestrians much less kids. No crosswalks for at least half a mile. Yes the driver should have stopped. However, no one does, plus the lighting at this area is poor. Â As traffic has increased over the years, I have asked the city to add sidewalks, much less cross walks. They say, they will fill in when the developers finish their infill. Â Translated, when they can build no more, the city will schedule their part.136th used to be a rural road. At night, barely a car went by. No more. It is busy all hours and drivers drive way past the speed limit. Harold to Holgate, runs between two bus lines, so people do try and walk it. Sad for this tragedy, but unless the city does somehing, it will only be the first of more to come..... Â
I often see a car stop for people to cross a street, only to have other drivers speed past anyway. When a car is stopped, other drivers should check to see why they are stopped before zooming past.
The simple truth of the matter here is that a child "jerked free and darted out past another car (in the dark) and was hit. A very sad happening. The 13 year old is not to blame. and the driver is only to blame in that they did not realize why the other car had stopped. Or maybe even that it had stopped. It was DARK out, apparently no crosswalk, no corner, no street light. Many people us Rain-X on their wind shields and that makes any light that hits it, reflect out into several rays across the wind shield also making it difficult to see. Poor Baby! Poor Mama and family.
@Yamhill354Â Â
So are you saying that you wouldn't have slowed down or stopped if you saw people standing at the side of the road and another car stopped and waiting?Â
@Icarus @Yamhill354 Amazingly that seems to be my observation.  Even on a four lane road cars don't stop if someone has stopped in the lane adjacent to their's.  It seems to not matter what the other driver(s) are doing as long as "their lane" is free.
you should be at a corner or crosswalk then cross a street NOT in between sorry if the extra 100 feet walk would kill ya but running in front of a car will kill you for real,its not just the driver if you choose to run in front of a moving car expect to get hit,since you dont belong there in the first place,the 13 year old shouldve taken her to the corner and cross where you are expected to be
@Nuclear-X What if there is no corner? We are talking a rural setting that has never been updated for City living.
@Yamhill354Â @Nuclear-XÂ
There are corners here, and they may have well been at the intersection, although I don't know this for sure.  While we could use more street lights, neither  crosswalks, sidewalks, or lower speed limits, would have helped.
Perhaps the first car NOT stopping might have helped, and education about the dangers of crossing streets would have definitely helped.
Having grown up around that area, I have a certain degree of familiarity and history. Â For those who don't know the area, it has been relatively rural (in that -- read, too, that this road was a quick trip between the other major roads and was known for speeding problems going way back). Â Thanks to infill development, the City and County appeared more than willing to take the developers money without adding back to the infrastructure in the area. Â We're not talking Sam Adams, here. Â It goes back to Bud Clark and beyond.
Basically, the history is so deep in this you can't blame one "side" or the other. Â The bottom line is the kids and families in the area are losing. Â Back when the City demanded this general area be annexed (and made people pay amazingly high prices to connect to sewers -- often exceeding the value of the property) it came with promises of paved roads, better lighting, and better support from the City. Â Clearly that still hasn't happened in the more than 30 years following annexation.
My heart goes out to Morgan's entire family.
To those of you who are asking where the parents were/are, let me remind you that these kids have to travel along these roads during the school day and the road is just as busy and visibility can be almost as poor! Â And, yet, had it been "day time" I think fewer of you would be willing to jump on the bandwagon. Â The older (pre-existing) streets in that entire area are horrible and have yet to be improved! Â In places there STILL isn't even a shoulder to cross on, not enough crosswalks (especially to support the new development in the area)
I've read several versions of the "story" and, from what I can determine, Morgan was at her Uncle's house ACROSS the street (maybe a bit diagonally but very close) when he took her home. Â All told, they were more than likely within shouting distance of "adults" in these two family units so the adults, knowing that the kids traveled frequently back and forth, were at least aware of the situation.
The child broke free because she saw the other car stop and assumed that the car that *should* have seen her would also stop. Â Heck, even the 13 year old could have made that decision. Â The difference in determining when it is safe to cross in an area or not usually comes from experience. Â No matter how many times you're told to look both ways or wait until it's all clear, I don't think you start to fully comprehend the potential danger until you actually start driving, yourself, and you have to be more aware of the potential hazards that might come in to play.
As far as Hales patent response, I find it cold and out of touch. Â While I don't particularly blame him directly for the situation, I do find some of his actions clearly haven't led to the improvement this area and other areas in SE Portland (and, probably, other areas around town, too). Â I also think it would be best served if he would sit with this woman and her family (free of news cameras!!!) to discuss the changes the family would like to see happen. Â At least, then, they will feel that they've finally been heard.
And, Zach, as others have said, you did NOTHING wrong. Â You did all that you knew to do (and probably did it better than many parents out there!). Â Sadly, this moment will now last a lifetime for you. Â Please don't let other people second-guess the decisions you made. Â You did nothing wrong. Â And, now, I'll guarantee that you will be a much better driver, bicyclist, pedestrian, and person because of it. Â And, some day, if you become a parent, yourself, you will be one heck of a father, too.
So, I agree with some of the other posters here who are familiar with the area. Â If you're not, don't pass judgement. Â Go sit and watch the traffic flow when kids are going too and from school. Â There isn't enough room in many places to be a safe pedestrian or a safe bicyclist -- especially if you're a child.
This wasn't a tragic accident. Â It was an avoidable incident. Â Everyone involved has at least a little responsibility for the outcome and, in hindsight, would have done things dramatically different. Â This includes the City and the County because they've long known this area has been problematic. Â As far as legal blame, it seems that the driver is still not necessarily in the clear. Â The traffic incident team has to give their findings over to the DA to even see if there is justifiable reason to seek legal action. Â Since the stories presented in the media are so conflicting, I'll wait for the investigators to complete their report and make it public. Â But that still won't change the outcome for Morgan and her family.
Rest in peace, Morgan.
What is frustrating, it that NO ONE will actually ask the hard question... where was the parental control of the 5 year old. My heart brakes to think of any child even getting hurt, let alone being killed.  From what I heard, a painted cross walk, would not have stopped a child from breaking free from her 13 year walking partner. The news media is afraid to ask what might be perceived as political offensive questions....it is like Dr Carson referenced in his recent speech... when you are so concerned about what folks might say about you or attack you, you won't ask the hard questions...
 Much easier to jump on the blame the City band wagon.... Â
@RagtopÂ
A child can break free from anyone, including an adult. I see it happen all the time. It's why whenever I am driving and there are kids about, I always slow down. You never know when a child is going to break free from the hand holding theirs.
A 13 year-old was old enough to be walking her home. They're old enough to be home alone - by a few years. They're old enough to babysit and watch their younger siblings while the parents are away. There was nothing wrong with a 13 year-old walking home a child after she'd been playing at their house.Â
@Jenni S. @Ragtop Ahem... 13 year olds can even be parents.  --> No I'm going to hide 'cause I'm getting ticked at all of the other people asking where the "adults" were. FWIW, I support you in this.
@Jenni S.
You are very patient responding to imbeciles; I get frustrated with the endless effort to deflect responsibility from the driver.
@Nuclear-XÂ Um, if you look at the aerial photos in the area they were at a "cross walk" - an unmarked intersection where the state requires that you, the driver, assume a pedestrian may legally cross.
And, while the child may have darted out, it sounds like they were already in front physically (i.e. in the road) of the car that DID stop legally as required by law. Â So, as far as I can see, the child naively assumed that the other driver would also stop since she was already in the road... Â And she paid for it with her life.
um the kid darted out in front of driver putting them at risk also,think really if the person slammed on breaks and got rear-ended and hurt, so road are for cars,side walks for walking,crosswalks OR corners is where drivers look for them to be NOT in between so the drivers need to pay attention slow down if its dark or raining remember basic rule...geez
@Ragtop.....Amen to the parental guidance. You know when I was 12 I didn't have to worry about crossing the street. I had common sense. And when I was in high school in Portland, I walked on the streets at night going home from sports games, I didn't worry about crossing streets, because I was taught to look both ways or cross in a well lighted area.
Prayers and condolence to all affected by this tragedy. I know it's hard to take. My niece died when the VW she was riding in rolled over and several men at the wreck just stood there doing nothing. She was suffocated by the car but my brother and two or three men lifted the car off of her and if the guys who were just standing around would have done the same at the time of the rollover, she would have survived. She was two years old.
so sad. Â im used to seeing this family outside on their porch with their fire pit.
hate to say it, but that house she lives in has a bad omen. Â it's the same house where 2 people were murdered over a stolen sim card.Â
@diddy_bop Â
 Right, it had nothing to do with the driver it was evil spirits at the house that killed this girl.  That's just ignorant.
@Icarus don't be so literal, my dude. of course she was hit by a car.  would it be better if i said it's all in god's plan?
@diddy_bop
The Moby Dick is a great piece of fiction and the bible is a great piece of crap that promotes mystical belief and deceives people. Omens and spirits and karma and bad luck are just excuses for things that wouldn't have happened if people just paid attention. Â
@Icarus and why would it surprise you if i did? i think the bible is a great piece of fiction.  and again, are you ignorant or do you not comprehend well? omen =/= spirits
@diddy_bop It wouldn't surprise me if you did. But, that would just make it worse because saying such things...like pointing to evil spirits.... suggests that there is no reasonable cause or prevention available to man. This tragedy was completely unnecessary and wouldn't have happened if the driver was attentive.
Such a young life taken too early. Another angel is in heaven. Sad to know she wasn't properly taught not to dash across the street without looking both ways. Sure the lady that hit her should have stopped, but she probably didn't see the children trying to cross, but as I understand it, it happened at night and I don't know if the street was well lit. It's a shame the lady will have to live with this the rest of her life, but some of the blame has to be bourne by the mother. You just don't put up crosswalks everywhere, but when you do, make sure they're well lighted and signage should be implamented also to alert drivers.
@Bdou Â
Or you could try to blame the other driver who stopped in the road to allow the pedestrians to cross. That driver probably caused the child to believe that it was safe to cross the street. Or maybe blame the little dead girl who didn't look the other way. Or blame the mother who had dinner waiting for them at home.....just blame anyone except the poor driver that that killed the little girl because she was in a big hurry to be 69 someplace else.
@Icarus.. You weren't there, so you can't say "she was in big hurry to be 69 someplace else". How do you know the lady wasn't blinded by the glare from the headlights of the car that was stopped. Besides the little girl darted across the street without looking. She broke free from the 13 yr. olds' hand who will have this memory for life.  The lady wasn't cited and if the police don't find anything to the contrary, then she's not at fault . I'm sorry to say that if someone is to blame, then it's the little girl and her mother.
@BdouÂ
You can teach a five year-old about darting in the road, but there is still a good chance they'd do it. Seeing as another member of the family was also hit there on the street, I'm sure they've had the conversation about it with all the kids. But at that age kids can be impulsive and not think about consequences. She saw her home, was excited, and pulled away without thinking about what could happen. We taught our daughter all about roads, holding hands, etc., but that doesn't mean she didn't give us a heart attack a few times when she pulled away from us.
What good could come out of this story? We can not afford to have traffic signals and cross walks installed because of bureaucratic idiocy. Did you know that every little traffic light you see on a 4 way stop is minimum $75,000 to $150,000 a light. And that does not include installation. A traffic signal that controls left turns also run up to $450,000. Why? Because as the article says, the price of metal has gone up
 http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/450000_traffic_light_cost_eyed.html
this is the price of a new home and car and some set aside for college funds.Â
@stinger139Â Â
Perhaps, some awareness that when a car is stopped in the roadway and pedestrians are facing the road then it is wise to stop to allow them to cross.
Â
@Icarus
And perhaps the headlights of that stopped car prevented the other driver from seeing those kids at all...
It's a decent area of the road, good shoulders, and streetlights at both Harold & Ellis. Â It is actually one of the better stretches along here.
I'm not sure which direction the driver was going that hit her, but if they were headed South, Harold is almost a hidden intersection due to bushes/shrubbery, and the driver may have well been looking in that direction for cars pulling out.
I use to live in the house on the corner of 136th and Harold. I moved because it was not safe to have my small children walking to school along 136th in the mornings. Months after begging the school to add a bus stop, they finally did! However, my plans to move were already set. Since I have moved I could not imagine having my children live on a street like that again. My heart goes out to all who are affected in this story. May some good come from this.
What the heck were the adults in this situation (the stopped driver and the driver who hit the girl) doing while this boy picked up a seriously injured child and carried her???? Why in the world wouldn't one of them warn him not to move her until an ambulance arrived? It sounds as if he was the only one not frozen to their spot. What the heck????
@SandraBn  So you're blaming the kid now for harming this kid...I think it was the car that did the damage.
@Icarus @SandraBn Not at all. He's 13. He did the best he could in the situation he was in. He had no idea what to do but to take her to safety.
I'm blaming the adults. They were there and apparently did nothing to stop him from moving her. Where were they? And why was he left to handle all this by himself? He's 13!
you should be at a corner or crosswalk then cross a street NOT in between sorry if the extra 100 feet walk would kill ya but running in front of a car will kill you for real,its not just the driver if you choose to run in front of a moving car expect to get hit,since you dont belong there in the first place,the 13 year old shouldve taken her to the corner and cross where you are expected to be..
@SandraBn
As a cyclist my survival depends upon reading situations and assuming not only that every motorist is an idiot but that they all would kill me if given an opportunity. Â
I've been at it for 35 years and I've never been hit on my bike nor have I ever run anyone down with either my bike or my car. I have however been hit by stupid kids twice while driving my car.
@Icarus @SandraBn I would expect the person who had stopped to step up. Where was that person? And yes, I would expect a person qualified to drive a vehicle to be able to get out of that vehicle, despite having been in an accident, and take care of necessary business before being allowed to fall apart.Â
Beware of assuming that the woman is a complete idiot. We've all done stupid things with our cars at one time or another. There isn't one of us that hasn't said to ourselves, "I could've killed someone just then," after having a near miss with a car, bike, or pedestrian.. If you think you've never said it, you've either never driven, or you're lying.
This is why it is so important for pedestrians to be in charge of their own safety. Drivers, even the best ones, sometimes get distracted or don't see something they should see. But that does not preclude a driver from getting out and helping where necessary.
@SandraBn
Moving the child didn't cause her death. The real question is why didn't the driver stop when she saw pedestrians waiting to cross the road on one side and a motorist stopped and waiting in the on coming lane. Do you really want or expect that person to be in charge of a medical emergency or anything more complex than collecting trash at a public park?
My heart and prayers go out to the family of this precious child. May they be surrounded by love and support as they face this unbearable tragedy. If any family and friends are reading these comments please make sure the parents know about the MISS foundation. They are a private group of bereaved parents offering support to one another. I would't be here without them, they held my hand on the darkest nights of my life. A parent should never have to bury a child. May you be surrounded and held up with love and support by family and friends as you sadly walk a path that has been worn down with the tears of those who have walked before you.
What a terrible tragedy, I really feel for the family but especially for Zach, the guilt that child must feel.
Everyone in such a hurry to get somewhere, for what, to get there minutes sooner, nothing else.
What a senseless loss.
@MadMax64Â
I know. Zach is going to relive that moment for the rest of his life. My heart just goes out to him.
That is just sad. But, i'm not at all surprised by the driving standards in this state. Oregon drivers are some of the most blatant scariest people i've come across. Just hope this brings some kind of positive element away from the tragedy.
Here's a note to all the drivers out there;Â
When there is a car stopped in the lane...either direction...
And, there are people standing by the roadÂ
 Then, that section of roadway IS A CROSSWALK and you have a red light and a duty to stop. <STOP IMMEDIATELY>
And, if you have the wherewithal to think, then put your flashers on to alert other drivers to exercise caution.
@IcarusÂ
You are not very bright, and you will wind up just like this little girl if you believe what you're telling others. Â NEVER trust that a car will stop for you, ALWAYS believe that they do not see you, and they will not stop. Â That will keep you alive and safe.
@Icarus Seems like it would be common sense, but that'd be wrong. Unfortuantely.
@JohnPDX
Common sense is a misnomer; nothing that is common has any value. Â
@Agness P Weatherby @JohnPDX You could not be more WRONG. "Common sense" refers to the kind of sound judgment which we accumulate through experience of the world. It is simply another term for what is normal, native human intelligence. As such, it is of inestimable value to man.
And if you knew anything about Thomas Paine, you would know that in saying that "nothing that is common has any value", you are saying that YOU have no value. For Paine wrote his pamphlet in intentionally plain, simply language so that it could be read and understood by "common man" -- by the largely uneducated masses which comprised the bulk of American colonists. These people are our forbears. So there is much that is "common" that has value. Capiche???
"Ruiz was still in shock late Thursday night and the tragedy hadn't yet sank in.
'I don't know what to feel or think. It doesn't seem real,' she said."
 Keep in mind, folks: this happened YESTERDAY. That means that KATU was in this mother's face just hours after her daughter was killed.
 Wow...
@brautigan...Good Point. The news media have no concern for the privacy of people in situations like this. They just want to get the story. And for those that say they have the story seen only on their channel, go to hell. They say breaking news when all it is, is a re-work of the news seen earlier. They have to sensationalize everything.
@brautigan Â
 It bled so it led. Reporters a callous because enquiring minds want to know.Â