By Daily Press staff
An 83-year-old Santa Monica man who was hit by a car while crossing Montana Avenue last month died from his injuries, according to the Los Angeles County Coroners office.
Harry Houston was struck by a Cadillac DeVille that was traveling east on Montana Avenue on July 19 at 3:09 p.m. when he attempted to cross Montana Avenue to the north at the intersection with 16th Street, police officials said.
Houston was walking outside a crosswalk, police said.
Paramedics with the Santa Monica Fire Department brought Houston to the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center where doctors pronounced him dead.
Officials with the Los Angeles County Coroners office said an autopsy is pending for Houston, who they believe died from “blunt trauma and head injuries.”
The name of the driver was not released.
SMPD conducts about two to three pedestrian sting operations a month. The stings not only are conducted to enforce the law, but to educate the public about pedestrian safety. There were 130 pedestrian collisions last year, an eight percent increase over 2000.
Many of those incidents were motorists not paying attention to people walking in crosswalks or not being familiar with the law, police officials said.
Houston’s death marks the second pedestrian death this month. An unidentified pedestrian crossing Ocean Avenue at the intersection of Broadway was killed last week when he was struck by a Big Blue Bus.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 5, 2002. Read the original PDF.