Girl's death renews concern over lack of sidewalk improvements
PORTLAND, Ore. – The death of a 5-year-old girl after being hit by a car Thursday night was the city's fourth pedestrian death this year.
Morgan Cook's death is renewing talk about how Portland has long neglected road and sidewalk improvements in Southeast Portland.
Morgan was walking home with another little girl and that girl's 13-year-old uncle. They were crossing the street at Southeast 136th trying to get to Morgan's home on Harold Street when a car stopped to let them cross. The 13-year-old said Morgan ran across the street when another SUV, driven by 68-year-old Huong Dang Bacon, struck her.
Bacon stayed at the scene and waited for police. No charges have been filed at this point. Officers are still investigating.
Morgan was hit just outside her house. Southeast 136th is a busy road, and there aren't any sidewalks. A plan to put them in farther to the north is in jeopardy.
"It's a neighborhood that used to be referred to as Portland's forgotten neighborhood," said Jeb Pearson who is among those who navigate the potholes along 136th Avenue.
The stretch of 136th between Holgate and Powell was supposed to get a $1.2 million sidewalk project this year.
While running for office, Charlie Hales pledged in an ad to improve infrastructure on the east side on streets like 136th Avenue.
"Let me tell you about 117th Avenue," he said in the ad. "There's a section of that street that goes from Division to Burnside. ... But there're no sidewalks. That's not OK."
But the Bureau of Transportation is now proposing to pull that money and use it toward the new mayor's priority of paving streets.
It's an example of how tough times, and budget shortfalls, force tough decisions.
In a statement, Hales said: "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. ... We will work through these decisions together."
"This neighborhood in particular has more unpaved roadways than any other in the city," said Mark White, the president of the Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood Association. He also ran for a position on City Council.
He said past administrations focused too long on big projects like the street car and tram and ignored the needs of low-income neighborhoods.
"It probably has a lot more to do with how much money that comes from our neighborhood to support campaigns than it is downtown," White said.
The latest data from 2007 to 2001 shows 24 crashes on 136th Avenue. Morgan's was the first death on the street.
Elsewhere, the first accident this year happened on Jan. 20 in Old Town. Becca Bray was killed and her friend Brandi Butner was seriously hurt when a truck driver ran a red light, collided with a cab, and hit the pedestrians. Prosecutors say the driver, Brent Warstler, was drunk when the accident happened.
The second took place nine days later in Northeast Portland. Heather Fitzsimmons, 26, was crossing Glisan Street at 79th in the crosswalk when she was hit. The driver stayed and cooperated with police.
And on Feb. 14, a Southeast Portland man was hit and killed just a few blocks from his home. Tom Gann was crossing Holgate Boulevard in the crosswalk when a white van hit him and sped off. Police believe Victorio Noguedo Berrera was behind the wheel of the van, and they are still looking for him.
As much as this girl is at fault for running out into the street I will say why was the SUV ALSO not paying attention? Â Too many times I have see this, the lane of traffic closest to you will stop to let you cross but the person in the next lane is oblivious and blows right by them! Â Same thing happens when you are waiting to turn and someone is nice and stops to let you turn but the idiot in the other lane is not paying attention and blows right by. Â When someone does that to me as a pedestrian or as a car turning I won't walk or turn and simply just wave them on!
@B Smizzle bb First I think the pedestrians should wait until the cars go by.  Cars should have the right of way.  To do this safer I think we need a signal first from the pedestrians such as holding their hand up and then pointing towards the street to indicated they are crossing.  I think the driver that sees them should put on their emergency lights and clearly stop so anyone in the second lane that can't see the pedestrians realizes that a pedestrian is crossing.  The driver could put out their arm and motion downward to indicate a pedestrian is crossing in front of their car.  Several times I have seen a car slow down in the right lane and I think they are turning or parking and can't see the pedestrian.  I doesn't occur to me someone might be crossing because I don't see them and it might be an unusual spot.  My spouse is a former Trimet driver and will stop for pedestrians but will not signal them to cross.  If the person gets hurt it would be his fault.
This particular accident would not be changes with sidewalks. Â They were crossing the street. Â Portland has dozens upon dozens of areas that have no side walks and poor streets and no money to improve them. Â 190th going up the hill from Powell turning into Highland and then Pleasant view has NO sidewalk on the right or left side. Â The few brave souls that walk up and down the hill have to walk on a narrow piece of grass and gravel. Â Same on Towle in Gresham. Â
I do bellieve when these roads were upgraded areas such as this should automatically have sidewalks. Â Both of these areas have physical challenges such as a hill going straight down on Highland and high grades and a creek crossing with little room for a walker.
What a tragedy! But what where those 2 little girls doing out in the evening with a 13-y.o.?? They're all kids! Â I'm not familiar with that area but I know there a many intersections with poor lighting in the city. Â And I've seen way too many pedestrians walk into the street without even looking left/right. They just keep on walking and talking on their cell phone. Apparently, they lack basic common sense.
@Baffled And i have seen way to many drivers on their cell phones not paying attention....apparently the lack of basic common sense goes both ways!
@Baffled They are walking in the neighborhood you idiot.  Why are you posting if you are not familiar with the area or how the locals do things?  It's like "let them eat cake" you liberal jerk.
There are more cars on the road than in the past. In the past there were driver's ed programs funded in every high school. Now we get a mix of drivers with bigger and meaner cars. Pedestrians have no chance at the constant traffic. We need less cars not necessarily more sidewalks.Â
$1.2 million for a sidewalk? I hope that's for several miles of it. Knowing unions and city politics, it's probably a no-bid, minority contract at prevailing wage. After all of the internal costs are fulfilled, we probably end up with 30 feet of sidewalk for that princely sum.
My prayers out to the family.
It's sad that this child was hit and killed, but this whole incident could have been prevented had we had the traffic laws we had in the past, which clearly stated that "vehicles" had the right of way on the streets. Pedestrians were supposed to cross at "marked" crosswalks only. If they crossed at any other point, they were at fault if they were hit. Putting the responsibility onto the drivers to stop for any and all pedestrians wanting to cross in unmarked areas is just asking for accidents to happen, not just to the pedestrians, but to other cars on the road. I have seen over and over where people walking on the side of the road decide at a moment's notice to run across the road being totally oblivious to any oncoming traffic. There are also many areas in the surrounding Portland Metro area that are so darkened at night that it is nearly impossible to see anyone trying to cross. Hopefully Oregon will see that the way the laws are written today is only going to cause more and more of these unfortuante deaths.
What do sidewalk improvements have to do with a little girl running out into traffic? Â Not one thing. Â What's next? Â Fence in all sidewalks.
@ShadowÂ
She did try to run across the street but she did not run out into traffic, there is a mile or more stretch where there is no crosswalk, a driver saw them on the side of the road, motioned for them to go and was stopped when the driver who hit the child even though seeing the stopped car sped right along. It was not an ideal crossing situation but really if you see a stopped car in front of you what should you do? I want to add that I do not think the person who hit the child is totally at fault but I do think a moment of critical thinking would have prevented this from happening. So sad.
@Michelle Wilkins I have been yelled at and threatened while waiting for traffic stop in both lanes going to the middle and waiting from the middle to the other side. Just because one driver waves you from the left lane does not mean the right lane will stop. I bet there are people who stop and wave people across hoping they will get hit on the next lane
@Bert @Michelle Wilkins Yep you are right, but the second the drive does stop to let you cross (it's the law) then you as the pedestrian have the right of way.  It happens all the time, one lane will stop, the other lane won't because the drive is not paying attention....really, a car is stopped in a lane of travel at an intersection....COMMON SENSE says someone is crossing or they are letting someone turn.
Personally though, if I am crossing a multi-lane road and one car stops to let me cross, I just wave them along as I know most drivers in the other lane won't be paying attention and will blow right by them!Â
How sad, healing thoughts to you and yours
Sidewalks may be needed in this area but that would not have saved this little girl. What would be helpful is teaching pedestrians to look both ways before crossing the street and never, ever run across unless you know for certain it is clear or all the traffic has stopped in all lanes. Perhaps the silver lining in this very dark cloud will be a few more careful drivers and a bit more focus on the condition of the streets in Portland.
@I812Â "What would be helpful is teaching pedestrians to look both ways before crossing the street and never, ever run across unless you know for certain it is clear or all the traffic has stopped in all lanes"
What we also need is for drivers to be aware that if a car is stopped in the middle of the street at an intersection with no stop sign or traffic light they maybe, just maybe, they should at least slow down and be cautious instead of just blowing by and not paying attention! Â Responsibility goes both ways!
@B Smizzle @I812 I think the driver that stopped should put on emergency blinkers so the 2nd car realizes there is a reason to stop.
@my2cents @B Smizzle @I812 Not a bad idea....I still say though (not blaming the driver) drivers need to pay attention and understand they are driving a deadly weapon.  If a car is stopped in the middle of the road slow down for about 2 seconds and look around!  Especially if you are coming from the other direction and can actually see that someone is crossing the road!
@my2cents @B Smizzle @I812 Somebody pointed out that's a bad idea because Hazard lights indicate you're broke down... people will just go around.
@I812Â
Problem is that this area has had multiple vehicle-pedestrian accidents, we just didn't hear about them because no one died. So obviously there is a bigger problem in that neighborhood than just a child running out into traffic.
@Jenni S. @I812 And, as you mention, this is a neighborhood -- with pets and kids and elderly, slow moving people and everything that goes along with a neighborhood.
I'm sure I'll get some thumbs down or comments on this but this was the first thing I thought of when I heard about this the other day. From previous articles it seems the 13 year old picked up the little girl and carried her home. I just wonder if that was the best thing to do since she was so seriously hurt. I realize the boy was only 13 and probably didn't know what else to do, but from the accounts of this accident there were adults present at the scene, why didn't an adult at the scene step in and advise him not to move her? When someone is injured that badly, it's best NOT to move them. That's not a new idea, I'm 50 years old and remember learning that when I was about 10. Just keep them still and wait until emergency professionals arrive. I hate to even speculate that maybe picking her up and carrying her may have not been the best thing to do. I feel for the 13 year old though, he did the best he could but seems that an adult on site could have suggested to wait until paramedics arrived.  I feel so badly for this family. And for the driver as well. Â
@mjoh More than likely the other adults on scene were in shock, too.  Before their brain processed what had happened, the boy did what he knew any sick child would want -- get her to her mother.  By the time they realized what the boy was doing, he'd already moved her so it would have pretty much been too late to tell him to stop and put her down since the damage caused by being moved would have already been done.
Sure, he really shouldn't have moved her. Â But, if you're not trained and practiced in accidents and medical first response, you do what your brain thinks is the next logical step. Â She very well may have not *looked* injured (or only had a scraped knee -- we don't know because none of the stories even said if she was talking or crying or interacting with anyone) so "Mom" was the answer.
@CTWU @mjoh I am concerned how this will effect the young man in the future.  He needs to know it wasn't his fault.  It is a set of circumstances that feel into place that allowed this to happen.
@mjohÂ
From everything I have heard, it didn't matter as she would have died anyway. The injuries were just too great. At least the boy can feel like he tried his best to save her.
Ok so first, the sidewalk project that was supposed to happen was for the section between Powell and Holgate. Â This happened 10 blocks south of there. Â Second, sidewalks, while desperately needed on 136th from Division to Foster, would not have stopped this from happening. Â Even with sidewalks and marked crosswalks, people still choose to cross other less safe places. Â Where these kids were crossing was not at an intersection. Â It was dark and 136th is a very busy road. Â I am always VERY reluctant to stop for people in these situations because there is no way to be sure other cars will stop and I don't want something like this happening. Â
Another thing I feel I have to mention is that within the last year or two I was making a pizza delivery at a house across from Harold St and as I got back to my car I noticed all the cars suddenly slowing way down and stopping. Â There was a small unattended child, maybe 2 years old, walking down the middle of the street! Â One of the drivers got out and ran towards the child, and finally an older child, maybe 10 or 12, came running from this same house where this little girl lived and took the younger one back with her. Â I watched in shock as they walked back into the house wondering where this child's mother was. Â There were several other children playing in the yard at the time, but kids are NOT responsible enough to be caring for babies and toddlers by themselves. Â I was so sick at the thought of what could have happened.
I am failing to see how sidewalks would have helped in this situation. My understanding is the little one darted out into the middle of the road without looking to see what was coming in the other direction? Are they putting sidewalks in the middle of the road now?
What am I missing here? It's a tragic accident, little Morgan had a momentary slip of the lessons I'm sure she had been taught by her mother (as every mother teaches their little girls). Look both ways, don't ever run into the middle of the road, hold someone's hand.
@WhenCowsAttack "My understanding is the little one darted out into the middle of the road without looking to see what was coming in the other direction? "
Hmmm from the article above I read that the lane closest to them stopped and waved them across, the little girl ran across and the car in the other lane some how, didn't see a stopped car in the middle of the road at an intersection and didn't see the 5 year old in the road! Â
@B Smizzle@WhenCowsAttackSemantics. Surely yes, there were multiple factors at work here, I will give you that, and of course the other driver should have paid attention to the stopped car.
Are you familiar with the area though? That road has two lanes, one for each direction. The car that hit her was not driving in the same direction as the stopped car- it was coming from the opposite direction. Clearly the little one didn't look BOTH ways before running out. Again, I am sure she was taught to do so by her mother, little girls sometimes get excited and forget things. Â
Am I sensing that you think I am "blaming" her? Because I'm not- just making an observation about the situation. She did something tens of thousands of kids have done hundreds of thousands of times- made a common mistake that *usually* doesn't end this tragically. Like I said, just a horrible accident.@B Smizzle @WhenCowsAttack Not sure why you're acting as though we are arguing about this when we aren't. Did I not agree with you on that point?
There were two factors here that caused this. 1.The driver was not paying attention. 2. The little girl did not look both ways.
How can you acknowledge one and not the other? This accident would have been avoided if either one of those things had been different.
@WhenCowsAttack @B Smizzle "That road has two lanes, one for each direction"
Oh, so the car that hit the little girl not only could see the stopped car but also the child crossing and still hit her! Â Again, I say PAY ATTENTION when driving!
"Clearly the little one didn't look BOTH ways before running out. "
Clearly the driver that hit her also did not see the child crossing even though it was in their field of view and the fact that a car was stopped in the middle of the road at an intersection! Â You are right though, both are at fault....horrible, horrible accident. Â That is why I say this is a wake up call to everyone....pay attention when driving and walking!
@B Smizzle This situation can happen so easily.  Train your young children to wait and NOT cross the street without and adult. Â
@my2cents @B Smizzle And train drivers (who are more mature than a 5 year old) to stop and allow someone to cross the street, which by the way is the law!
Or just ask drivers to pay about 5 second of attention. Â As a part time bike rider I understand that your car is your castle and asking someone to use common sense, follow the law and pay attention while driving a deadly weapon is a lot, but I still ask it!
@WhenCowsAttack Sidewalks usually mean street improvements -- better lighting, a designated area to "safely" walk, designated crosswalks, etc.  Even if she were in a well lit area in a designated crosswalk, she still could have darted out (in the crosswalk) ahead of her family and been hit because the driver may not have bothered to slow down.
But, if the lighting were improved, the road better maintained, the area actually improved, the likelihood of a "near miss" is far greater than the tragedy that happened.
At least that's my understanding of the "sidewalks" issue.
@CTWUÂ @WhenCowsAttack Hmm, yes, I see the logic, but it seems a crosswalk might have helped more than a sidewalk in this case.
I'm really familiar with the area, I used to live on 136th and Rhone, the whole length of 136th is not pleasant to walk.
@WhenCowsAttack @CTWUÂ
Yea, the funding was for sidewalks and safety zones - so there would have likely been improved lighting, crosswalks striped, etc. to go along with the sidewalks.
Something needs to be done because there are a lot of pedestrian-vehicle accidents in that area on those streets. We just hear of very few of them because they don't end in a fatality.
ENOUGH with harping on the mother! She's in enough pain and grief to last her a lifetime. Her daughter was killed. Why flog her on here as well?Â
The problem is is that road is NOT SAFE for any pedestrian - 0-100 years old. The city has done little to nothing to help this area out. That area is just as valuable as downtown Portland. After all, how many people cut through there to go between two arterial roads? It needs to be dealt with, as there have been numerous crashes before. It's just not safe.Â
@washcomom Yes, let's point the finger of blame on the city. Sorry washcomom but the condition of the road had no bearing on the little girl's unfortunate action that caused her death. The condition of the city's roads under Adams and Katz continuously deteriorated and is deplorable. That fact does not alter the need for parents to teach their children never to run into a street no matter how safe they may think it is, and always look both ways and make sure it is clear before crossing the street. This was an unfortunate and preventable event but the city is not to blame and 5-year-olds do not always make the right decisions.
I lived in this area for a few years and can attest to how dangerous it is to walk there. I have almost run down a few people while coming over the hill on 136th in my truck. Feel bad because it's usually younger kids and poor folks that have to walk there from the bus stop around the corner. Can't figure out why I pay the same city property taxes as the rest of Portland but get half the services/ benefits. Let's build another big bridge, street car or bike lane and keep the kids in southeast and no-po walking in the streets.
Sad loss of the life of a cute 5 year old. Children are so quick moving. Almost have to hold their hand so tight that it is almost shutting the blood off. There are so many areas without sidewalks especially outside the City of Portland boundaries and we seem to do ok as long as there is some space to walk on the side. I have a concern about the darkness though. Too many pedestrians get hit in the dark because they are wearing dark clothes in the dark and drivers can't see them. Drivers don't really want to hit other humans. Pedestrians must wear light, bright, with glowing strips on them and maybe a flashing light so drivers can see them. And for those pedestrians that get hit during the middle of the night by a drunk driver, not sure what they are even doing out there during the middle of the night.  Â
I blame Sam Adams and his BTA fanatic friends. He's the one who said bike lanes over street improvements, including paving and sidewalks. That same group also ignored outer SE in favor of the limousine liberals living in the Pearl. This one is on him.
@NWGuy  Agreed.  There are dozens and dozens of areas like this in SE and NE Portland.  This roads have little to no paving.  No sidewalks.
I fail to see how a sidewalk would have prevented this girl from darting out into traffic. I fail to see how a crosswalk which gives people a false sense of safety to just step out into the street, would have prevented her from darting out into traffic. I know its common in a death to place blame but none of these would have kept this little girl from darting out in traffic.  Are they needed improvements? Yes, Did the city waste the money else where, yes. Would they have made a difference here? No I dont think so.Â
Portland wasted millions on max line, street cars, renaming streets etc. Â The rest of the city is a messed because of their wasteful spending.
maybe, as a driver, you should wonder, Why is that car stopped!!! I have had this happen to me at a crosswalk where one car will stop and then the jerk behind goes around the stopped car and thru the crosswalk, I have been lucky. Pedestrians, you put your life on the line everytime you use a crosswalk. People either don't know or don't care they are required to stop. Portland doesn't issue citations. My friend's daughter was run over and killed using a crosswalk. She did not just step out in the crosswalk she waited till it was clear but a fast driver coming a minute later ended her life. Did she mean to do it? No, but drivers who do not stop for a crosswalk need to be punished so others will think twice, like, Huh? another car is stopped in the middle of the road, what could this mean? Do we all have so little time?
@Michelle Wilkins I stopped once at a marked crosswalk and the pedestrian (an adult) entered the walkway.  Then I noticed a car coming up on my other side and I could tell it wasn't going to stop so I started honking.  The pedestrian had just entered that other lane but jumped back just in time to avoid being hit by the car but he was clipped.  And the driver kept going -- never once slowing down (not even to see why I was aggressively honking).
I would be more worried that a 68 year old lady, who could not stop her car in time to avoid a child, was behind the wheel!!! If your reaction time is impaired by age, you should not have a license. How could you even live with yourself after that??
@kindercaregoat I am over 70 and will put my driving skills over  you any day of the week.  What makes you think 70 year olds can't drive.  The person that hit the girl was under 50.  How could a 20, 30, 40, 50 year old live with that?  They couldn't.  Wait until you become over 60 and reevaluate your stance.Â
@kindercaregoat Really!  First change your name, it does not fit you at all.  Not kind, or caring, or a goat, more like a jackass.  Second, all of the reports I've seen and heard indicate the poor little girl ran out into the street.  The poor woman probably had no time to react.  If she was negligent, the police will bring charges.  No one needs to hear your stupid, judgmental, comments when you were not there, nor do you really know what happened.  How can YOU live with yourself after making such an insensitive comment like that???  I'm sure everyone involved is traumatized by this horrible accident.  All of their lives will be affected forever.  You don't think that they all are overcome with guilt, remorse, pain, sorrow, and second guessing.  Shame on you!
Always nice to see the local government and media exploit a tragedy to further an agenda.
ORS 801.220 "Crosswalk"Â
If there is neither sidewalk nor shoulder, a crosswalk is the portion of the roadway at an intersection, measuring not less than six feet in width, that would be included within the prolongation of the lateral lines of the sidewalk, shoulder or both on the opposite side of the street or highway if there were a sidewalk. [1983 c.338 §36]Â
This sounds to this layman like a crosswalk does not need to be painted to be assumed to exist, even where this girl was crossing if it was at the intersection. Other rules involve all lanes stopping when pedestrians are crossing an undivided road, even if they haven't reached your lane, so speeding up to avoid stopping when noticing a 15 year old enter the other lane is not legal.Â