An elderly woman carrying a baby in a Bjorn type carrier was struck by a car on Ocean Avenue near Alta Avenue in Santa Monica just after 10 am last Wednesday.
Santa Monica resident Morina Lichstein said she witnessed the immediate aftermath of the accident as did several other mothers she knows who were also walking in Palisades Park.
“Witnesses describe that the woman hit the windshield, flew up in the air, and landed on the pavement,” Lichstein said. “Her head was severely injured and bleeding profusely from the rear of her skull. My friend used socks to try and absorb the blood. The woman blacked out and then came to asking about the infant. I heard her moaning and screaming on the pavement.”
Lichstein said the baby flew out of the baby Bjorn, up in the air, and landed on the pavement on the side of its head.
“The baby was crying,” she said. “It was a terrible awful thing to see, and we are all very concerned for the victims. My friend who is a nurse stabilized the victims and waited with them for the ambulance, and other friends of mine witnessed the accident as well.”
Santa Monica police Sgt. Richard Lewis confirmed the accident occurred in a crosswalk on Ocean Avenue.
Lewis said the driver was cooperating with police, adding drugs and alcohol were not suspected to be involved.
He said the woman and child were expecting a full recovery.
“It was slow speed accident,” Lewis said.
Lichstein said the safety along Ocean Avenue was of great concern to her.
“Motorists not paying careful to attention to the plain striped crosswalks and several stop signs can cause great harm,” she said. “Ocean Avenue is a hazardous route, being both a bike lane and a busy street as an alternative commute to Lincoln and PCH, and a tourist mecca, park, and pedestrian exercise location.”
