Decatur Resident & Dog Hit By Car in Crosswalk
Decatur Metro | May 20, 2009UPDATE: Andisheh followed up with DPD and the resident. Here’s his update:
Reed Thodeson and his dog Madchen were victims of a hit-and-run at 5:40PM on Tuesday, May 12 as they were crossing S. Candler street in Decatur. Thodeson is okay, but Madchen died last weekend after surgery.
If you see a purple pickup truck with dark, tinted windows, and custom chrome bumpers, please contact Officer Bellis at the Decatur Police Department at 404-373-6551. The case# 0902316.
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Andisheh, who has many of his own war stories about attempting to cross W. Howard at Adair, forwards a Fox5 story that appeared about a week ago, about a man and his dog who were hit by a car while trying to cross S. Candler near the former Victory Vintage Home. Both are still alive, but the dog was literally run over and had to have one of her rear legs amputated.
From what I can tell from the video, the driver was turning left off E. College onto S. Candler when he/she struck Reed Thodeson and his dog Madchen. The driver didn’t stop. Luckily, a good Samaritan did.
Be vigilant out there folks.
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Was this around lunchtime, I wonder? I heard a bunch of sirens right around this area as I was walking to El Tesoro on Thursday–wonder if this was it.
Coulda been. The story is dated May 14th.
When is this intersection getting the improvements that were promised when we passed the bond referendum 2 or 3 years ago? We talk about being a walkable city, but this intersection is anything but walkable!
This intersection is very unsafe and confusing. If the person and dog were crossing on the side where a car turning east onto E. College could hit them, they were not crossing in the crosswalk, which is on the west side only. If you’re walking south on E. Trinity, on the east side of the street, and you want to cross E. College, you have to cross E. Trininty in front of the Dairy Queen and cross E. College, then use the crosswalk at the corner of Agnes Scott campus to cross eastward toward former Victory Vintage. Very convoluted. But safer than crossing E. College on the east side without the crosswalk.
Actually, BOTH intersections that at College crossing into downtown are scary. My baby and I feel like we are playing dodge the car most of the time, though the McDonough side isn’t so bad.
One of the mail problems at that intersection is that if you have any type of wheels (stroller or bike) you cant cross at the crosswalk. The crosswalk leads to stairs. If you try to move over into the traffic lane after crossing, there are extreme visibility issues, let alone space issues. I was told by a GDOT engineer (S. Candler is a state road) that the reason there is not a crosswalk on the east side is because of the right on red lane from College to Trinity.
I have a question….
On College and S. McDonough, traveling on S. McDonough towards town, there are two lanes at the first light. The sign appears to say that both lanes can go straight and the left lane can make both lefts onto college and then w. howard. However, I constantly have drivers in the right lane merging into the left lane because there is no line separating the traffic.
What is the deal here?
Greetings. For those that have to make the Candler or McDonough crossing regularly: That Agnes Scott crosswalk / underpass seems to be a much safer place to cross, IMHO. It may not work as well with strollers, but there IS some kind of a tire track to help get bikes up the stairs – at least I think that’s what that rail along the steps is…
Full agreement with comments about difficulty crossing College/Howard from either S. McDonough or Candler. One thing I’ve noticed is that drivers do seem to be aware and considerate of someone waiting to cross in front of Agnes Scott- at least on weekends.
To me, the bigger issue is that the driver of the vehicle that hit them didn’t stop! Did anyone get the license plate number and report this to the police?
I can’t understand the mentality of hit-and-run drivers. Dangerous intersections notwithstanding, how could anyone keep on going after running someone over? Leaving the scene turns what likely started out as an accident into a willful criminal act, so why compound a tragedy? This just hurts my heart. The one time I hit a stray cat (despite my efforts to avoid doing so), I pulled over, moved the poor beast out of the road, and tried to help it (it died before I could get it to my vet). How anyone could leave a fellow human being to suffer or die is something I’ll never be able fathom.
Andisheh provides an update on this. Please see the original post.
All –
The City was awarded $1,480,000 in federal transportation enhancement funds that will be matched by $370,000 in local funds from the bond issue to make improvements to both the Candler/East College/East Howard intersection and the McDonough/ College/Howard intersection.
On Friday, we received 14 responses to our request for design services. The proposals are being evaluated and we hope to award the design contract by the first of August.
Improvements to both of these intersections is very complex and will require the cooperation of GA DOT and CSX Railroad. It will take awhile to get things done but we are trying to make progress.
In watching the video, it seems he was heading west on College on the south side of the street and was hit by a truck going north on Candler while he was in the crosswalk. No?
Indeed you’re correct Chris. I’ll make the change up top. Thanks.
alas, there are many factors that make this intersection one of the most dangerous intersections in all of Atlanta.
1: S. Candler is a pipeline for North/South commuters attempting to stay off the highway. That equates to a lot of traffic.
2: S. Candler goes from 4 lanes outside Decatur City to 2 lanes within city. Then it goes to 3 lanes right before this intersection near Agnes Scott. This back and forth creates race mentality.
3: Many busy roads converge here. S. Candler, College, Trinity, and Howard St.
4: Absolute disregard for the shopping center on the corner. Victory Vintage Home tried everything to keep cars from blocking the entrance to the parking lot. Signs on the sidewalk, hanging from the side of the building, etc.
I’ve braved that intersection many a time with my family in tow. If the job to make improvements is to be awarded in August, I hope work can commence on August 1st.
While we are on the subject of S. Candler, I have a way to pay for every dime of the Fifth Avenue renovation. A speed trap at the corner of S. Candler and Midway Woods would yield a bazillion dollars.
The ASC Police Department is trying to give more citations on S. Candler, but when the speed limit is 35 MPH, motorists have to be traveling 45 MPH to be ticketed (this is what has been told to me). One way around this: whenever you are driving on S. Candler, drive 25 MPH. If enough residents do this, it will slow down others.
Join the Facebook group “Safe Speeds on South Candler St.”
Hello everyone. This is Reed Thodeson. I’m a Decatur resident and Madchen was my puppy. The hit and run happened on May 12th at about 5:40 pm.
I just saw the update and thought I would chime in. The original Fox5 report was slightly incorrect and I’d like to clear up the confusion surrounding our whereabouts when we were hit. We were actually crossing over South Candler one block south of the intersection shown in the video. There is no light there but there is one sign and a designated crosswalk. It is directly next to Agnes Scott University and is a place that sees a lot of foot traffic as well.
The events happened that I was waiting on the curb on the right hand (southbound) side of the street for someone to stop to let me cross. A Marta bus slowed and then stopped and we started to go across the street. I caught a glimpse of movement and pulled up fast on the leash as we were starting to cross into the northbound lane. A driver of a custom purple truck had pulled across the double yellow lines and was passing the Marta bus. He struck me on the shoulder and ran the dog down. It was a male driver and he stopped only for a moment and never said anything before leaving the scene.
Please, please, please keep an eye open for this truck as the purple is very noticeable.
Its been very sad for us, but we like to think that this also gives us an opportunity to make our neighborhood safer. And as I said before, this area is fairly heavy with foot traffic…I hate to think that this could have turned out worse if it was a hit and run with a student or with someone pushing a baby.
Thanks for everyone’s concerns. We really appreciate it.
I am so sorry Reed for your loss. I am one of the few that stop at that intersection. It frightens me to watch folks cross, while I am stopped, and folks on the other side do not stop and plow right through. Very scary situation. I am a huge pet lover, so I have much sorrow for your loss. Hang in there.
Rest in peace Madchen. Sorry for the loss of your companion.
Reed, so sorry about your puppy. It brings me to tears. I’m glad you’re alright.
Has anyone seen a police office ever pull anyone over for running the crosswalks and almost taking out pedestrians? This happens all the time and I have seen police witness this and do nothing. Many communities take this very seriously and levy fines upwards of $300 per incident. Why does Decatur not take this seriously?
City of Decatur needs to park a car there like they do on Clairmont Ave and enforce these laws. Did you know that the pedestrian sign that was there was removed because is was struck so many times at such high speeds that it was considered a “dangerous projectile”. Unbelievable.
Brent – As a frequent pedestrian in Decatur, I can attest to this phenomenon of people not yielding to pedestrians in the designated crosswalks. AND, a lot of the “walk signals” at the corners with traffic signals do not work at all, so you have to cross at greater risk when you can look at all 4 directions of possible traffic. People who want to turn right at red lights do so in spite of the “walk signal” clearly showing, so you have to watch out for those right-turn folks. The “walk signal” does not figure in the right-turn folks, so you have to play a dicey game to get across the street safely if any of them are at the corner with you. I was almost hit by a car turning right from Commerce at the CVS corner when I was attempting to cross Commerce going east on a walk signal. The car turning right had no intention of letting me cross the street before turning. Several people witnessed this incident and were concerned as to whether I was hurt. The car did touch me, briefly, but thankfully I was not injured. That is a very dangerous corner too, in spite of the traffic lights and the walk signal (when it works)…
I am so sorry, and so angry, that this happened to you, Reed. My sincere condolences on your loss of Madchen. I wonder if the purple truck is still purple?
I’m equally sorry to say that I am not at all surprised that this happened. I seem to constantly witness motorists shooting through crosswalks when pedestrians are in them (much actually stopping for those who are waiting to use them), and also the above-described phenomenon of people turning right on red with no regard for the Walk signal. I once stopped my car at the crosswalk on East College (mid-Agnes Scott campus) to let someone cross, only to have a car come up from behind me and pass me on the left, at a high rate of speed, while the young woman was crossing in front of my car. Had she been two steps ahead of herself, it would have been tragic.
Just two Friday evenings ago, my family, including my 4 year old daughter, my pregnant belly, my husband and mother, were crossing at the crosswalk on Trinity, from Depeaux to Dairy Queen, and were more than halfway across when we had to stop short and literally pull back for someone who did not even slow down as he motored through. This was mere seconds after a Decatur PD car had left the area – talk about bad timing.
Decatur seems to have more than its fair share of needlessly aggressive, downright anti-social drivers. Everyone please be careful out there.
I meant “much less stopping for those who are waiting to use them.” I certainly don’t observe “much” motorists stopping, as they are required to do, by law.
Scott Boulevard has only intermittent stretches of sidewalks, either side,
from Ponce to North Decatur Road.
This is really enlightening and scary. I live on E. College and make that crossing all the time with my own dog. (Reed — my condolences.) I feel like I’m taking my life in my hands. From now on I’m definitely going on the crosswalk side by Trinity/Dairy Queen. No shortcuts. It isn’t worth saving five seconds. The city really needs to take a look at some of the pedestrian/traffic issues here. (E. College & Commerce, a few blocks from the aforementioned intersection, is another nightmare.)
The overall transportation improvement plan is supposed to be presented to the City Commission next month, I believe.
BTW, as tragic as the incident is, if they were crossing E College on the east side of the intersection (at the former Vintage Victory side), there is no official crosswalk there. One could argue that there should be, but there are no markings right now. The only marked crosswalk is on the west side of the intersection (the Agnes Scott side).
I’ve heard the City Manager say multiple times in the past that part of the reason that intersection hasn’t been revamped yet is because the signals need a complete overhaul to accommodate a left-turn signal for S. Candler Street. That’s the county’s jurisdiction and they’re supposed to get to it this year.
Not sure if that will solve all the problems at that intersection, but it sounds like a start.
That’s a good point. The City needs to address this– the sooner, the better.
Apparently it was a purple pickup truck with custom chrome bumpers and heavily tinted windows. Sounds pretty distinctive, so hopefully they’ll catch the scumbag.
Karma is the biggest “b—-” on the block.
OK, were they crossing S Candler or E College?
Damn. I hate to hear that about the dog.
Not sure. The Fox report showed the reporter crossing E. College, that’s why I assumed.
Andisheh?
Can we have somebody besides DeKalb County do the traffic signals? I don’t think they can properly erect a stop sign, much less complex traffic signals.
In that case, the rant about crossing where there was no crosswalk is null and void and I withdraw it.
Me, too.
Thanks for the details Reed. I’m so very sorry to hear about your pup.
I hate crossing in front of MARTA buses for this very reason: no sightline and people love passing them illegally.
I’m so sorry you and your puppy were hurt.
My husband crosses at that crosswalk almost everyday, and we frequently cross there with the baby stroller. Scary. We will definitely keep our eyes open for the purple truck.
Reed, please let us know how you & your little Madchen are doing. Thanks for giving us your personal update– I know it must have been a terrible experience for you.
And given that many families will have to cross the tracks to get to a 4/5 Academy at Fifth Avenue, raising money by ticketing bad drivers at the tracks is all the more fitting. It raises money but also warns drivers to cut out their arrogant moves lest they be ticketed.
Paula and cubalibre, as Andisheh mentioned earlier…unfortunately Madchen passed away after the surgery.
Oh, no! How did I miss that? Abject apologies for not reading carefully, and heartfelt sympathies to Reed on the loss of his pup. Now I REALLY hope they nail the b@st@rd who did this.
Aw crap. That’s terrible. So sorry to hear this.
Sorry for not reading more carefully. I had a toddler clamoring at my knee.
Brent, you haven’t been very observant. Decatur police write citations quite often for crosswalk violations. They are actually quite aggressive in this area, and from time to time conduct crosswalk “stings” where officers stand on the sidewalk and observe active crosswalks. I’ve seen motorists violate crosswalks during these operations when a police officer was in full view. You bet they got a ticket ! Please let us know where and when you saw an officer ignore a violation where he/she was in a position to write a citation and didn’t do so.
You are quite right, uninc, except to amplify on a few things:
First, I’m afraid that the bad driver phenom is not limited to Decatur; they’re bad everywhere in the Metro area and Georgia in general. I can’t find the link right now, but in the news the past few days was the results of a survey an insurance company did to determine the least knowledgeable drivers about traffic laws and Georgia was like 46th (New York was dead last).
Second, Decatur is very much a pass-thru place and the vast majority of drivers are merely going through on their way from one place to another, neither of which is Decatur.
I will agree that a lot of Decatur is subject to cut-through traffic. However, in Winonna Park I have a lot neighbors that drive like they’re in Midtown; that is they drive with a complete disregard for pedestrians and the speed limit, and the fact that there are roads with on-street parking and no sidewalks doesn’t seem to slow them down.
Here’s the story I was looking for:
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2009/05/22/georgia_bad_drivers.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13
The bond issue had $$ to complete the sidewalk plan in Decatur. The goal was to have a sidewalk on at least one side of every street in the city. Any streets remaining without sidewalks are that way because the residents on that street didn’t want them.
And then there are the pedestrians (including joggers) who refuse to walk on the sidewalks when they DO have them…
Re goal to have a sidewalk on every street in Decatur: Hard to believe, but some Lamont/Vidal residents resisted getting a sidewalk on either of those streets so strongly that the city gave up. Supposedly it was runoff/drainage issues but that’s hard to believe given how little pavement sidewalks take up compared to all the three-car garages and McMansions being raised on those streets without any objections. Plus city engineers verified that runoff and drainage would not be affected by their plan. I can’t figure out what the true motive was in resisting the sidewalk. Aesthetics?–well some of their yards are nice, but not THAT nice, certainly not Buckhead or Druid Hills. Value of home/yard?–but sidewalks attract young families which probably raises one’s home value more than losing a bush lowers it. Plus one plan would have left all yards alone; it just narrowed the street. Fear of who might walk into the neighborhood?–surely that old myth is no longer believed. A) Thieves don’t walk along sidewalks carrying large screen TVs; they tend to use a vehicle; B) Neer do wells walk along streets without sidewalks–in fact they tend to walk up on private lawns if no sidewalks are there. I just don’t get it. I’ve decided that couch potatoes just hate to see a sidewalk full of active walkers and children playing because it makes them feel guilty that they aren’t using it.
Steve, WP Neighbor, and CSD Snowflake–all true. I don’t get the folks that walk and jog down Kirk. Oh, and also, I didn’t mean to imply that my neighbors were speeding on the sidewalks. Sidewalk or not, there is no reason to be going 40 mph through a residential neighborhood (barring firetrucks and police cars, of course, but you can usually hear them coming).
Unfortunately, Scott Blvd is under State control. The City has tried, but the State is unyielding.
Steve, do you know what ever happened to that Scott sidewalk issue that the Mayor asked for input about a year ago? They were weighing whether to put in new stretches or repair existing. Did they just repair existing? I can’t remember.
Hugh Saxon probably has the answer to that question – I don’t know how it was resolved.