Girl hit in Sebastopol crosswalk remains critical

A 15-year-old girl remained in critical condition Sunday after being hit by a car Friday evening in a Sebastopol crosswalk, police said.

The girl, whom police would not identify but witnesses said lived in Petaluma, was struck on Highway 116 near Florence Avenue as she walked to a fireworks show with three friends, Officer Greg Devore said.

She suffered life-threatening injuries and was in an induced coma at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, Devore said.

The 70-year-old driver, who also wasn’t named, has not been charged with a crime. An investigation is ongoing to determine who was at fault, Devore said.

“These crosswalk situations go two ways,” Devore said. “People assume the pedestrian always has the right of way. But that is not true.”

Neighbors said the accident happened on a dangerous, sloped stretch of road known for speeders where other pedestrians have been hit before.

Greg Clements, who lives next door to the crosswalk, said he was nearly killed in 2006 when a car ran him over while he was crossing the street. He has urged state and local authorities to erect a pedestrian crossing warning sign, to no avail.

“People go too fast here,” said Clements. “And they don’t know how to use the center turn lane.”

Another neighbor, Annika Glenn, who rushed to the scene of Friday’s accident, said drivers heading west can become temporarily blinded by the sun.

She said she helped comfort the girl, who lost consciousness after Glenn got to her side, and stayed with her until an off-duty paramedic arrived.

“This is a very dangerous intersection,” Glenn said. “I really think they need a stop sign here.”

The accident was reported just after 6 p.m. The girl was headed to a fireworks show at Analy High School that was attended by hundreds of people.

She was crossing the street from the north side when she was hit. Police believe the driver, who was westbound on Healdsburg Avenue, swerved at the last minute to avoid the girl but hit her anyway, Devore said.

The driver crossed into oncoming traffic in her Toyota Corolla, hitting an eastbound car before crashing into the Thai Issan restaurant on the south side of the street.

It was not known if the driver was exceeding the 30 mph speed limit. She was not injured.

The girl underwent additional surgery Saturday.

On Sunday, the front of the restaurant was boarded up. The street was clear except for spray paint markings and a small patch of dried blood.

“We’re still talking to witnesses and doing some work on the car” to determine exactly what happened, Devore said.