COMMENT 332195P
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2012-10-16 08:33 PM |
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128. This is far off-topic, but: A cancer sufferer (on chemo, no less) could not stop the progress of his/her affliction simply by quitting drink or drugs. I don't see how you attempt to compare alcoholism to cancer. Your reasoning is all wonky. Granted, those who smoked (cigarettes) their way into cancer might be compared to those who drank themselves into their "disease." Yet, what about the 9-year-olds with cancer or the other sufferers? I think you need to deep-six your notion that somehow alcoholics are not responsible for their own brain deterioration and other drink-induced health problems.
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COMMENT 332140P
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2012-10-16 05:51 PM |
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Interested to read all this. Once I saw small tents erected in this area, I guess on Caltrans property. This was in full view of passing motorists. If we condone this activity, then accidents of this nature will happen over and over again. Caltrans needs to clear out all these dangerous homeless encampments. Period. I know there is one near Las Positas. I think there is another one on/near Carrillo.
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COMMENT 332128
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2012-10-16 05:31 PM |
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drug addiction - especially to alcohol - is a disease. people wouldn't be saying this type of thing if it was a cancer patient. alcoholics who are so down on their luck as to be living in bushes are deserving of sympathy and empathy just as if they were a cancer patient on chemo crossing the street in a bad place in the dark. the 3 boys in my husband's car will be fine. i hope the driver will be too. hope he wasn't texting!
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COMMENT 332125
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2012-10-16 05:29 PM |
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I make no politically correct excuses for the vagrant drunk panhandlers in this town. Sorry, I'm paying up the ying yang in mortgage and property tax to live in one of the most desirable cities in CA... As a native, it took us 15 yrs of saving to get homeownership here. Yeah, I have a problem with panhandlers on our freeway offramps and nothing is done. Yeah, I have a problem with bums camping on our beaches, business alcoves and freeway landscaping. Yeah, I have a problem with bums hassling my family and friends on State St. Yeah, I have a problem with the fact that a driver will have to deal with this incident and the half-dozen other drivers who have had similar instances of hitting drunk transients over the last couple years.
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COMMENT 332041
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2012-10-16 03:25 PM |
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That intersection has traffic lights and well marked crosswalks. If the pedestrian was in a crosswalk and walking with the light, then the driver was at fault. Period. If the pedestrian was walking against a red light, at night, then I'm not sure what the law states, but I suspect it's the pedestrian's fault.
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COMMENT 332035
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2012-10-16 03:12 PM |
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@837, you're entitled to your opinion about the homeless being "not nice" but please consider that we don't know what happened here. We don't know who died. To paint everyone with the same brush is part of the problem and it DEHUMANIZES someone who DIED in a horrible accident. It's really awful that people would rather decide the character of the person who died than to offer empathy or sorrow that someone died at all. I wish I could say I was shocked by the responses here, but they are typical. Some of you should really be ashamed of yourselves and thankful you're not the person who died and that you have a home. My god, what is wrong with some of you?
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COMMENT 332005
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2012-10-16 02:28 PM |
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@ 331819P Decent people have an endless supply of sympathy.
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COMMENT 331965
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2012-10-16 01:12 PM |
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Homeless, homeless, homeless. This guy in the crosswalk has been tried, convicted and sentenced by the wholesome upstanding citizens on this thread. It's so refreshing to have such perfect people in town! Homeless are less of a problem than the self appointed Peter and Polly Perfects on here and out there. How about this take: The intersection in question is 6 miles wide from the 101 NB off-ramp to the entrance to Calle Real The driver should have seen the pedestrian, legal or illegal crossing is not the question. He should have seen him and stopped or swerved to avoid. Tons of room to maneuver at that location. Was he trying to beat the light? Just flying along looking at the GPS instead of the road? Why aren't people speculating about that, instead of the living conditions of the pedestrian? Cuz guess what the ped is dead and the driver is merely inconvenienced. And tell me where to get lessons in being perfect, Peter and Polly.
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COMMENT 331960
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2012-10-16 01:03 PM |
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While they were in a crosswalk, it is not always the safest place to cross, whether illegal or not. In fact, many crosswalks are at or near intersections and can give a false sense of security to the pedestrian, especially if they truly trust every driver out there. I'm not advocating jay-walking, but sometimes it's just safer to go to the middle of the block, look both ways, use some common sense and cross...crosswalks can give a false piece of mind.
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COMMENT 331938
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2012-10-16 12:14 PM |
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Sounds like: drunk transient camping by freeway crossed onramp to go buy more booze, struck and killed by driver who was not expecting someone to cross an on-ramp at night like that. The logical response to this: If transient killed was indeed drunk, and further, a vagrant traveler, then realize that having drunk recently arrived vagrants camp beside the highway, crossing access ramps to go buy more booze is really bad. Caltrans fences area off to stop the campsites, police run out-of-state warrants checks, and relocate those not from here back to where they're wanted. Liquor stores strongly pressured to stop selling to this set. What will actually happen: Homeless Inc will protest over the dangerous conditions of highway encampments, insist on pedestrian crosswalks in the middle of freeway ramps, and protest Caltrans upkeep of the property as inhumane to the homeless. ABC will never talk to a single liquor store, and police get to keep changing the diapers of the homeless.
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DILLYDALLY
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2012-10-16 12:13 PM |
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Thank you 924 for some helpful perspective. I feel bad for the driver, the deceased and his family, and anyone who witnessed this accident. I think most people on some level can agree that tax money would be well spent preventing this from happening. However, most of the posts are knee jerk reactions to the homeless problem. I get that the homeless problem is frustrating but I fear that our town will start to make some very bad decisions. The current prevailing attitude can make drastic draconian decisions seem like a good idea. If by taking everything away we hope they leave keep in mind that we are really just creating a group of people with nothing to lose, that can make anyone dangerous. If anyone can prove the % of SB that is homeless is increasing faster than the national average, I am interested in seeing that.
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COMMENT 331960
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2012-10-16 12:07 PM |
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Sad story for all parties involved. While intoxication is perhaps the main reason this occurred, another is how we treat and exercise pedestrian right of way. In most cases pedestrians will stroll out into the street, often without looking both ways, expecting cars to stop. Many are on the phone or wearing headphones and don't make the all important eye contact with drivers, bikers, etc. People should be aware when they cross the street...and will be more likely to do it while drunk as well. SBPD uses two solutions: ticket jaywalkers and set up sting operations to ticket drivers that don't yield to people about to cross. This results in tickets to a few people on each side of the equation and generates some revenue for the city, but does not provide the community the guidance it needs to solve the problem long term. Look both ways before you cross, it's just that simple. In time, the story above will become a rarity.
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COMMENT 331924
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2012-10-16 11:51 AM |
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823 look for the children to be upset and if so seek counseling. My husband and I were in an unfortunate accident in January 2005 with a homeless man on Northbound US 101 at Seacliff. Coroner ruled he had committed suicide by way of our F250 truck. We thought we could handle the grief on our own but realized after a few weeks of some sleepless nights and the fact that my husband was angry at the deceased man we decided we needed therapy. Best thing we could have done. I guarantee the person who hit the pedestrian is in total shock and is grieving right now. Very sad to lose a human life this tragically.
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SBSAND
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2012-10-16 11:40 AM |
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According to Noozhawk the person the pedestrian was in a crosswalk...
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COMMENT 331904
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2012-10-16 10:58 AM |
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Unfortunately, homelessness in that area and being drunk are part of the accident. There is no residential street light because the freeway bushes were not meant to be a residence, there is no mid block cross walk, because other than reaching a homeless camp, there is no need for a cross walk. And being drunk changes the choices you make. When you are drunk, wandering across an unlit street with lots of traffic makes total sense. Before you all flame me, we have had "recovered" homeless/alcoholics rent from us (cheaply too), after they graduated out of programs. Some have done well for a while, others took only weeks to fail. We have a no smoking no drinking no drugs policy. In the end, it seems many have a hard time with regular jobs and regular rules in a home and just don't want that lifestyle enough to stay off the streets.
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COMMENT 331897
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2012-10-16 10:45 AM |
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I've said it before and I'll say it again: While the homeless population is rampant here, it is also their town. In fact, I have met more kind and nice homeless people (men) in this area than I have regular working citizens. Maybe they're less busy, but even though I offer them nothing they are more than happy to have a conversation with me and tell me their story should I ask. Whether this guy was drunk or homeless should have little to do with the fact that it is a terrible accident for ALL involved.
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COMMENT 331888
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2012-10-16 10:35 AM |
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@884- You seem like you are such a nice and giving person. That's great. Perhaps you would be willing to share your driveway with one of the hundreds of vagrant RV's dotting our neighborhoods. Maybe you could invite some of the urban campers to camp out in your backyard?
I deal with the "homeless" on a daily basis. 90+% are not even from Santa Barbara County, yet alone CA. Most travel to towns where there are "opportunities" for a cheap and tolerent community where they are not hassled for drinking, drugs and "camping". There ARE more social outreach programs in SB than ANY other community of 90,000 in the U.S. There are also thousands of towns in the U.S. with a cheaper cost of living than SB.
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COMMENT 331884
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2012-10-16 10:19 AM |
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Anyone can become homeless, especially the large section of the population living under financial terrorism, who are always on the edge - living from paycheck to paycheck. Decent, normal honest people, working 2 and 3 jobs to pay the ever mounting cost of just a spartan living.... while the wealth of the nation is systematically funneled towards a tiny minority of élites - who are always seemingly short of yet another yacht, mansion or luxury car.
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COMMENT 331878
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2012-10-16 09:56 AM |
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What do homeless people actually want, and would it really be so hard or expensive to give it to them? If they want food, shelter, and alcohol, I say we build encampments somewhere and let them live their lives the way they want. I know this offends the responsible puritans out there who hate to see non-productive people, but I bet giving them some resources would be a lot cheaper than paying cops and building jails to do social work for mentally ill people. I also suspect that each of them actually want different things, so maybe it wouldn't be that easy or cheap to respond to all their needs. But if building a hobotown somewhere in our county would work, I'm in favor of it.
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ROGER DODGER
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2012-10-16 09:41 AM |
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I suspect that the victim crossed illegally in a very dark area of the road possibly near WYE and Calle Real. Victim possibly intoxicated. I suspect motorist came off Highway 101 Northbound offramp with green light over State street Motorist right of way. Prehaps like many of us slightly above the speed limit. I have come off the off ramp doing 40 plus through the intersection before I think many people have. No one expects some one to be crossing the street possibly illegally in the dark. I suspect that even if the motorist was alittle above the speed limit the accident is not his fault, but I don't know because the facts are not in. I don't think condemning the victim is going to make the motorist feel any better. Yes there are some criminal homeless people terrorizing Santa Barbara but they don't all belong in the Woodchipper..Lets quit assuming the Motorist was driving illegally, and the homeless victim was jay walking until the facts are in.
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MTNDRIVER
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2012-10-16 09:40 AM |
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850, adding to the rant isn't so helpful, either. Maybe just an expression of sympathy for the victim and the driver and everyone else affected by the accident would be more so.
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COMMENT 331859P
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2012-10-16 09:35 AM |
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Keyt link this am http://www.keyt.com/news/local/Pedestrian-Verse-Vehicle-Accident-Leaves-One-Man-Dead---174322821.html
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COMMENT 332128
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2012-10-16 09:32 AM |
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it's so dark there and there is no crosswalk - even if the driver wasn't texting or negligent, there is no way to see someone in advance of them stepping in front of your headlights. this is the 2nd time in a month - the most recent death was in front of java station - same situation where a resident of the bushes bordering the freeway was walking to the other liquor store or java station and got hit. again, it's dark on hollister/state and the victims are not using crosswalks. you can't protect people from their own stupidity all the time. but it is still a tragedy.
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COMMENT 331965
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2012-10-16 09:20 AM |
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OMG! The sky is falling and the homeless are ruining the world! Assuming the ped was even homeless, and/or plastered if so what's the difference! If you think only homeless get plastered go down to lower State any nite of the week and look and learn. In addition to the homeless rants how about idiotic driver rants? The driver should have seen him but did not. What is he blind? His brake foot is broken? In a hurry? Texting? All of the above? To level the rant field, let's call it homeless drunk meets idiotic bozo driver at the intersection. Which could all be a lie but whose looking for the truth? Not this bunch of ranters.
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LOUWHO?
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2012-10-16 09:10 AM |
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823. Sorry that your son and friends had to witness this. Hopefully, they will be able to deal with this mentally. I hope you are OK as well.
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COMMENT 331904
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2012-10-16 08:57 AM |
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Was a sad day for the transient group that lives there and the young man that hit him. But, those transients are hard core drinkers and more of these accidents will continue to happen in that area. I have called 911 after watching them so drunk they fall off the curb and in to traffic more than one time. I thought you were a trespasser if you were on the shoulders of the highway like that, maybe more enforcement is needed to keep them safer
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COMMENT 331837
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2012-10-16 08:46 AM |
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825P Hit the nail on the head - people are not as sympathetic to the homeless here because the homeless here tend not to be the kindest of people. Didn't used to be this way, but times are a-changin' for the worse.
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COMMENT 331825P
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2012-10-16 08:14 AM |
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Roger, no not less a human being at all. But sympathy is in short supply in Santa Barbara and in even shorter supply for those who are intoxicated and have hands out for money. ...NOT saying that was so for this unfortunate individual, but the large number of police reports here involving the homeless drains public taxpayer sympathy.
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COMMENT 332128
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2012-10-16 08:11 AM |
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My husband, son, and carpool of 3 other 16 year old boys got off the freeway right after it happened. It was a terrible sight and very traumatic to everyone. This will haunt the poor driver for the rest of his life. This is the 2nd homeless person who lives in the bushes along State/Hollister to die after crossing the street late at night. It's so dark - I don't know how people don't realize they should cross at a crosswalk. Short of putting in stronger street lights, I don't know what we can do as a community to prevent these types of tragedies. Crossing in the crosswalks is dangerous enough - why are people crossing in front of freeway onramps? A truly senseless tragedy.
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ROGER DODGER
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2012-10-16 08:09 AM |
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Guess and assume the pedestrian is a human being that is now dead maybe it was their mistake that killed him, maybe not but we don't have the facts as of yet. Is a homeless person less of a human being than the rest of us it seems so in Santa Barbara.
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COMMENT 331825P
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2012-10-16 08:09 AM |
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If the accident victim was above the driving limit (there is no walking limit!) of blood alcohol, I hope this will impel the SB Police to crack down on alcohol stores (and other markets) selling to those intoxicated. It's a problem in the Milpas area, as well.
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COMMENT 331825P
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2012-10-16 08:05 AM |
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Here is the Noozhawk story.
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COMMENT 331888
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2012-10-16 08:01 AM |
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I would venture to guess that this pedestrian was one of the many vagrants that live in the CALTRANS responsible brush along the 154/101 transition. How unfortunate that a driver had (has to) go through this trauma.
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ROGER DODGER
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2012-10-16 06:53 AM |
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I didn't hear KEYT say the man was drunk. I heard them say he was leaving the liquor store.
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COMMENT 331859P
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2012-10-16 06:50 AM |
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This is very sad but, I also feel bad for the driver because according to KEYT the man that was hit was drunk, leaving the liquior store and a transient. He was likely crossing illegally and it was 1030 at night.
He was hit by a young man with no alcohol in his system and who is probably extremely upset and traumatized. AGAIN very sad situation for all involved!
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COMMENT 331762
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2012-10-16 01:58 AM |
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Noozhawk reports it as a fatal.
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COMMENT 331755
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2012-10-15 11:10 PM |
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Kbold, i know exactly what you mean. Having suffered the sudden tragic and violent loss of a loved one, I get a chill and a wave of sadness whenever i read of a fatal incident nearby. Sending peaceful thoughts to the survivors...
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ROGER DODGER
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2012-10-15 11:08 PM |
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KEYT is on scene now.
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COMMENT 331752P
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2012-10-15 11:07 PM |
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KEYT just mentioned it as "breaking news." They weren't on scene, sending someone. I live not too far away and haven't heard sirens. And yes, these types of calls are always sad.
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ROGER DODGER
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2012-10-15 11:07 PM |
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What I heard was someone say.".It's going to be a fatal." I thought they were saying that it is a fatal...KEYT just reported that the victim was transported to the hospital with life threatening injuries.. So I might have screwed up..It doesn't sound good though with an investigaion and streets closed.
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COMMENT 331751
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2012-10-15 11:01 PM |
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my heart breaks whenever i hear of fatal accidents.
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ROGER DODGER
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2012-10-15 10:54 PM |
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Sounds like acouple lanes on State will be closed like West Bound at La Cumbre. If you don't need to go into that area please don't.
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ROGER DODGER
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2012-10-15 10:51 PM |
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Chaplin was requested.
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ROGER DODGER
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2012-10-15 10:50 PM |
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Sounds like this happened on Calle Real at State street I'm not totally sure but that is what it sounds like.
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ROGER DODGER
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2012-10-15 10:46 PM |
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Calle Real and Wye Road closed..Barracades for highway 154. The accident occured State street at Calle Real roads closed. I don't know about State street itself.
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