A 2-year-old's death is the latest evidence of crosswalk danger

Perhaps it's time to retire the word "accident," at least in the context of cars striking pedestrians in crosswalks.

Sure, no one intentionally mows down another human being. But the results are no less horrific - broken bodies and, all too often, broken hearts. Grieving families are left to endure a loss that didn't have to happen.

Calli Murray of Rohnert Park is only the latest sad example. Two-year-old Calli was struck and killed Wednesday by an 18-year-old driver while crossing Snyder Lane, hand-in-hand with her mother, after an outing to a park. Her mother, Ling Murray, faces multiple surgeries for broken bones and other injuries. If that's not sad enough, the Murray family lost their health insurance after Calli's father was laid off from his job.

What's worse, this story isn't unusual. It's shocking to look back and see how many people have been hurt or killed in Sonoma County crosswalks this year alone.

In January, the victim was 15-year-old Michelle Cordova. She was run down while crossing West College Avenue in Santa Rosa. Within a month, two other teenagers were seriously injured in Santa Rosa crosswalks.

In May, a 6-year-old boy was badly hurt in a crosswalk in Petaluma. A month later, it was a 16-year-old Freestone boy in Sebastopol. In July, it was a 22-year-old jogger crossing East Cotati Avenue near Sonoma State University. A Casa Grande High School student was hit in a Crinella Drive crosswalk and suffered a broken leg while on the way to school in August.

About a week later, two members of Casa Grande's cross-country team were struck while crossing Sonoma Mountain Parkway. Two people were hit in two other crosswalk collisions in Petaluma the same day. Two days after that, a woman and her two grandchildren were hit near Petaluma's La Tercera Elementary School. Finally, in October, a 62-year-old man was hit in a crosswalk on Petaluma Boulevard.

That's two fatalities and 15 injuries in less than a year, and the list doesn't include pedestrians and cyclists who weren't in a marked crosswalk when they were struck.

Reversing this trend must be a top priority for pedestrians, motorists and public agencies.

Pedestrians must be cautious. You may have the right-of-way, but you'll lose every time in a collision with a speeding vehicle.

Police place a strong emphasis on pedestrian safety. But, even in these tough times, local government must invest more in warning lights, and it may be wise to remove crosswalks at busy intersections that lack stop signs or stop lights.

As for motorists, the solution is obvious: slow down, and pay attention to pedestrians. That means hanging up the cell phone if you haven't already. After all, no appointment is more important than someone's life.