Woman killed in SW Portland was in a crosswalk
PORTLAND, Ore. - A young woman was killed Tuesday morning when she was hit by a truck while walking in Southwest Portland.
The crash happened around 6:30 a.m. near the intersection of Southwest Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and Shattuck Road.
According to police, 27-year-old Mara Rosanne Forsythe-Crane of Southwest Portland was crossing the highway in a crosswalk when she was struck. The walk signal was on.
A box truck that was headed northbound on Shattuck Road turned right onto the highway and hit Forsythe-Crane as she was crossing.
Police said the driver, a 42-year-old Southwest Portland man, stayed at the scene cooperated with investigators. Alcohol did not play a role in what happened, they added.
No citations have been issued at this point, but the investigation is continuing.
First; I would like to offer my condolenses to the family and Annette on their loss. I knew Mara on a busnisess level and she was one of our highly thought of customers. Yes, here, yesterday was a tough day due to this.
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Second; I would like to set some things straight. Mara had the walk signal and was NOT jaywalking. The truck had the green light and had to yeild to her in the crosswalk when he was turning left (the article states right, it was crossing to the left). The truck driver simply did not see her. Â
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Third; It was dark, raining and light snow. She had what looked to be light colored pants on and white shoes. Visibility was bad out. I believe she was sheltering herself to the elements, did not see that the truck was coming and did not see her. She was not a tall lady and the truck was big, I think she was out of sight over the frontend by the time the trucks head lights came around in her direction and it was too late. Â
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Fourth;Â This is totally my opinion on all of this. Remember when you are out, head up, eyes open and watch out for yourself. I believe the truck driver made a mistake and Mara was gone in a instant. Â Â Â
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Mara was a very close friend of mine. I knew her for nearly 20 years of my life and I can say that she was an amazing woman. She was the type of person who touched many hearts in her lifetime. She was funny, sweet, kind, thoughtful, the type of person you would want in your life. This loss is a tragedy of the worst kind. I already miss her.Â
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I do not know the exact details of her accident as many have commented on this board.  Her sister told me that she was in the crosswalk when she died and that it was her right of way. She was on her way to work. We grew up in this area of SW Portland. Both of us have crossed this crosswalk countless times. Mara was not a careless person and she certainly would not have jaywalked.
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I must share that I was hit on this same highway near Wilson high school when I was a kid. The woman saw me and braked as quickly as she could and I survived. You know what the city did shortly afterward, they added another crosswalk and a light in this intersection. So for those of you who have posted some rather offensive and insensitive comments, I encourage you to realize that Portland lost someone very special and a loss like this should not be forgotten. I realize that accidents happen every day. I get that people die all the time. However, I can not understand how people can discuss a clear problem on this highway and in our city and not do something about it.Â
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Maybe you didn't know Mara, but I did. I never expected this news yesterday. I urge you to think about how we can make our streets safer. Even if you did not know Mara personally, realize that she was a wonderful person and think about how a tragedy like this would impact your life. Imagine if you had lost your daughter, sister, friend, or colleague in this manner - wouldn't you want to prevent this from happening again? Â
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Pffft! Portland area drivers have no clue about crosswalks.
To them they are just annoyances. I'd bet 90 out of 100
drivers would flunk a test on crosswalk rules.
If you don't know or are not sure about Portland Crosswalk regulations, check this out:Â http://www.portlandonline.com/mayor/index.cfm?c=49521&a=248292
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 @Tom dogboy Collins That was not intentionally done and we have removed the photo.
@Tom dogboy Collins Oh now that you mention it, I do see a tarp. Really? Wow!
was she wearing black pants, black coat, and a black hat?
Not any relation to the Mr Forsythe that was killed at the mall I hope.
 @Pvpbw That was my thought at first, but it looks like it's Forsyth (the Clackamas victim) and Forsythe... :(
@advocatus diaboli I hoped not, my God that would be much to much to handle. My sympathy to her family and friends
I'm a driver and a pedestrian. Â High or not, drivers don't look for the pedestrian. Â And guess who comes out with their life in tact. Â Trucks don't kill, people do!
9 times out of 10 an accident is not an accident...Most of the time it boils down to carelessness or laziness. I would like to see people get manslaughter charges and other punishments when they cause an accident, especially in the case of a person being killed. We let drivers get away with causing accidents far too much. Accidents cost everyone time and money that is on the road when someone causes one. It's time to punish that more severely...to take licenses away...To make people pay more attention and give a rats a** about what they are doing. It's funny...you can kill someone with your car and have it be your fault...unless you have had a few beers...then regardless of fault, it is you who is going to jail. It is too bad this young woman had to die because one of them wasn't paying attention.
 @Portlander29 So, when you drive up Division and some knuckledragger is standing in the medium in dark clothes, at night, 100 yards from an intersection or crosswalk, it's YOUR fault.
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You suggest that the driver didn't give a rat's a** about killing a woman. Are you that cynical and unrealistic?
@Playanekes @Portlander29 I didn't speak specifically about this accident at all since no one knows whose fault it was. I was just saying, it was likely someone's fault and not just an "accident". Just because someone is in a crosswalk doesn't mean they had the walk signal, so the pedestrian could have been where they shouldn't be and wearing dark clothes, etc. I don't know whose fault it was. I was speaking more in general that people who cause accidents should be held more accountable whether they have been drinking (or whatever) or not. And yes, if a pedestrian causes an accident (which might be hard sinc ethey "always have the right of way"), they too should be held accountable. Same with bicyclists.
@Portlander29 If the pedestrian is hit...he/she is held accountable I'd say.
It's the law that vehicles must yield to pedestrians. The truck failed to do so in this case and is at fault. I imagine how horrible the young woman's family must feel losing a loved one this time of year.
Scary. My first thought when I read about the pedestrian that died in Vancouver yesterday was of all the jaywalkers on Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway. They scare the living daylights out of me constantly! Although this is one of the few intersections on that stretch that has a signal/crosswalk, so it might not be a case of jaywalking. However, as another poster stated, it's an issue that needs to be addressed! Pedestrians, it isn't worth your life to save an extra block or two on your walk home! Especially with how the weather has been. Even if you are seen, we might not be able to stop in time. Please, don't do it!
Quick, ban trucks!
It must have been a pot smoker, I don't see how else this could happen.
 @swimbad Smoking pot from the barrel of an AR-15.
@Playanekes "Shotgunin", with Jimmy blazing through the stereo!
Amazing. We know absolutely zero about the accident but already people are blaming the pedestrian. Drivers are all so perfect and godly, I suppose it could never be their fault. Come on folks, get at least a few facts before laying blame.
 @Nobody We know absolutely zero about the accident but already people are blaming the driver. Pedestrians are all so perfect and godly, I suppose it could never be their fault. Come on folks, get at least a few facts before laying blame.
I agree with wondering and ralph.I drive beaverton-hillsdale hwy every single day on the way home from work.People don't look before they step out into the road.They also jaywalk all the time.People who are walking must be aware that trucks and cars can not stop on a dime.Just because the sign says walk,look both directions before stepping out into the road.Its simple.They need to stop all the jaywalking writing them a 50 dollar ticket sounds right.Also,People who walk need to wear something reflective or something of color other then black.All,I see are people wearing black in the dark how are we drivers supposed to see them if they are wearing black.I feel sorry for the person who died.But,I would bet the truck didnt see him/her or they didnt look and crossed against the light.
 @Dave H I live in hillsboro and work in Milwaukie.I see this on TV Highway alot also.TV is way darker then Beaverton-Hillsboro Hwy.The jaywalking needs to be addressed,also the lighting..There are so few street lights in this town.I am from back east and the streets are lit up there.here its so dark.Some people want to blame the drivers.Well,we do not know what happened.Also,I was in the navy and we should use the #1 rule of navagation..who weighs more has right of way.When I walk I always look both ways when crossing streets and I never assume the car/truck will stop until they do.Is that too much to ask?Come one use common sense.
 @Dave H You are so right about TV Hwy being a nightmare with the jaywalkers that cross back and forth from the apartments and some businesses on the south side to the more popular businesses on the north side of the street. Even the new light at 178th doesn't do much good, as people still walk in the dark past the two new crosswalks there.Â
 @Dave H Division out here, between 181st and 205. They just ditty-bop on out into the lane and stand there until everybody stops.  Once you get out toward east Gresham that stops because out there, you'll just get mowed over and left behind.
Yes, the people think they are invincible against vehicles. Pedestrians need to take a moment to look both ways to be sure it is safe to step into the road...crosswalk or not.
@wondering
wondering and ralph.
someone just died and you're going to get on a pulpit and lecture the world about some half-thought out crap. are you worried about resources? sit and think for a second. you don't have any idea what happened and now you want to teach us all something. just shut the hell up. all you have is anger? maybe you are more part of the problem than the solution. ignorant asses.
 @larry  @wondering Well, that's interesting. Not a whole lot of similar tirades about the people blaming it on the driver. Just people calling only certain people names.
 @larry  @wondering Well the problem is that this area has far too many pedestrians who jaywalk. The folks who live in the apartments love running across the freeway to catch buses, go to Albertsons, etc. We do not know all the facts, I agree. But whether or not jaywalking caused this, it would be good to address this issue. No matter what happened here, the number of jaywalkers here means that someday this could happen due to jalwalking.
I see so many people jaywalking and not looking when in crosswalks.
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While it is the responsibility of the driver to watch for folks in a cross walk those who choose to cross the streets outside of a crosswalk take a lot of risk.
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How many people have to die before they take some action on this? There is just too much of this going on and it takes a lot of resources to investigate these deaths.
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If they would write tickets for the jaywalkers not only would it deter them from doing it, it would bring in revenue rather than use revenue to investigate the deaths.
 @RalphCramden http://www.portlandonline.com/mayor/index.cfm?c=49521&a=248292
 @RalphCramden It is always the responsibility of the driver to look for pedestrians. It is the law.
 @washcomom  @RalphCramden It's not what you would call a natural law, is it?
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My wife's German teacher said that in Germany, you watch out for the big trucks because they can't stop. All human laws aside, physics says Might Makes Right when it comes to two objects colliding. The Germans, you might recall, are known for the excellent driving skills so it's not like they're a bunch of beer-crazed Dodge Ram (isn't Dodge/Ram an oxymoron?) drivers careening into pedestrians, or that people can't walk around safely in Germany.
 @Playanekes Germans have some of the best educated drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians in the world. Given how expensive it is to simply get a license, it stands to reason they are fully aware of how important it is to pay attention. It's not a perfect system, some must still learn the hard way (like not tailgating an M1 tank...the exhaust burns the paint off the front of the car), but by and large it's pretty safe.
 @Playanekes  @washcomom  @RalphCramden Thumbs up for the Dodge/Ram/oxymoron comment, that was funny!
 @Playanekes First of all, I wouldn't rely on Germany (remember WWI/WWII?) to give me advice, secondly, I haven't heard about great driving skills of the Germans. I say, use caution whenever possible, but if you're in a crosswalk, and you're light is green, you have the right of way. Period.
 @RalphCramden She was in the cross-walk, and was crossing with the "walk" signal on.....I fail to see how this indicates her to be a jay-walker.
 @pdxdÂ
Where did I say she was not in a crosswalk or was jay-walking?
 @RalphCramden You intialized your comment about your observations regarding jay-walkers or not using crosswalks, and focused ONLY on the jay-walkers or those not using crosswalks.
 @RalphCramden Your lack of compassion for the dead pedestrian says alot about you. Your post seems to show a willful disregard the value of human life. How sad.
 @zenpracticeÂ
Did you ever read my post? It appears not.
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I didn't mention the victim once.
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I comments on the lack of attention from drivers and pedestrians that causes these incidents.
 @zenpractice  @RalphCramdenMaybe you can go curl up in a blanket or suck your thumb or something?
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We're all talking about a problem we're all experiencing here, which is that all of a sudden pedestrians just walk out in the road and defy your vehicle to hit them. Maybe that didn't happen here. A guy gets accused in the media for smoking pot and driving because he killed some guy who wasn't even at a crosswalk, in the dark, wearing dark clothes, in bad weather, in a situation where anybody with brains in their head wouldn't be. The "doper" doesn't even get credit for pulling over instead of bailing like the average drunk seems to do.
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So, everybody's a little edgy about how anytime a pedestrian gets hit, the media sensationalizes it and ties it into whatever controversial topic it can to get more readers. Like me. *sigh*
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 @Playanekes  @zenpractice  @RalphCramdenÂ
he left the scene and came back according to another portland news channel.. SO,he does not get that credit
 @Playanekes You seem very hostile. I think there is something wrong with you.
 @RalphCramden Ralph, I'm stunned. Isn't your suggestion more of the nanny government the right keeps complaining about? Can't people take responsibility for their own actions? You want more government control so the government can tell you when and where to walk and then get even more money by fining you?
 @Old29Â
There are rights and there are privileges. They are not the same thing.
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When others threaten the safety and welfare of others then something needs to be done. Driving is a privilege that needs to be revoked for those with DUII's. Their selfishness will not be controlled any other way.
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I am against government telling me that I have to have insurance, pay taxes to subsidize big business, forced to pay higher energy rates because government mandates alternative energy and other issues that have nothing to do with personal safety.