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# Speed not always the factor in accidents, cops say
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/speed-not-always-the-factor-in-accidents-cops-say/
- Published: 2001-11-30T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-22T22:29:13.000Z
- Author: Carolyn Sackariason
- Tags: Crime, Montana, #archive-import

*It’s a two-way street for cars and pedestrians*

Travelers along Montana Avenue had better pay attention, or it may end up costing you your life or someone else’s.

A pedestrian spent five days in the hospital in serious condition after a motorist, identified as Barbara Billingsley, hit her while she was walking in a crosswalk at the intersection of Montana Avenue and 10th Street on Nov. 17\. The victim has been released from an area hospital and is recuperating from a broken leg, according to police.

The incident is just one of several that have occurred in the past year on the busy road which handles high volumes of traffic and pedestrians. The ongoing police investigation will determine who was at fault, although no charges are likely on either side, police say.

Generally, pedestrians have the right of way, particularly if they are in a crosswalk, according to California law.

“But the pedestrian has to be conscious of what they are doing,” said personal injury lawyer Howard Kronberg. “According to the law, they shall not relieve themselves of the responsibility to exercise due care... so they can’t just dart out in front of a car or delay traffic.”

When the Montana Avenue accident occurred, several area residents said the road is extremely dangerous and exceptionally risky when traveling on foot. While some say the city needs to do more to make it pedestrian friendly, others think the problem is too much traffic and speeding cars. Police officials say the problem is people not paying attention.

“Speed is generally not the primary factor in pedestrian versus car accidents on Montana Avenue and we have had a number of them,” said Santa Monica Police Sgt. Jacqueline Seabrooks. “It’s been a combination of autos and pedestrians at fault.

> “Speed is generally not the primary factor in pedestrian versus car accidents on Montana Avenue and we have had a number of them.” — — JACQUELINE SEABROOKS Santa Monica Police Sargeant

“It’s a mutual responsibility.” And while police presence on Montana Avenue has been beefed up, Seabrooks said enforcement of pedestrian laws is just as important. Enforcing those laws supplements the traffic safety program that has been used in the city for years.

Along Montana Avenue and other high traffic areas where there is a lot of people on foot, the Santa Monica Police Department combine enforcement efforts with a commercial officer driving a city truck, officers on motorcycle and car cruisers.

One witness to the Nov. 17 accident who walks along Montana Avenue every day with her child wonders why the police department doesn’t put a permanent deterrent along the roadway like a radar trailer to slow traffic down.

Seabrooks said the police department has tried that — especially at busy intersections like 26th Street and Montana Avenue — but they were shot down by business owners.

“We got complaints for taking up parking spaces,” Seabrooks said. “We have heightened the enforcement much to the chagrin of people up there.”

City officials are hoping the millions of dollars that they dedicated to pedestrian and safety enhancements will curb the frequency of pedestrian accidents.

Ironically, workers are finishing up hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of improvements to Montana Avenue, as the last part of a city-wide pedestrian improvement project that began in 1998\. A second phase of improvements is scheduled to begin next year to make Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards more safe, as well as Broadway and Ocean Park Boulevard. That entire project is expected to cost upwards of $4 million.

What pedestrians will see are crosswalks that have lights embedded in the road so cars are notified in advance that pedestrians may be there.

“It’s really a warning device,” said Ellen Gelbard, assistant director of Santa Monica’s planning and community development department. “We put them at uncontrolled crosswalks and at night, it really gets the attention of drivers.”

Crosswalks that are near schools and “walking districts” also will be painted “zebra” style so they are easier to see. The pattern of the striping is vertical, about two feet alternating with a wide section of unpainted pavement.

People also can expect to see dozens of traffic islands installed on Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards so they can negotiate one lane of traffic at a time by stopping in the middle before making it across the entire street.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 30, 2001.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/113001.pdf?ref=smdp.com)