After Woman's Death In I-5 On-ramp Crosswalk, Her Family Seeks Safer Crossing

TUKWILA, WA – On a recent gray afternoon, a grief-stricken Ke Zhiang visited the spot where his wife died.

It’s a dreary spot at the end of a sidewalk between a grassy ditch and an on-ramp to northbound I-5. Zhiang squatted in front of a small memorial there – a potted plant, incense, and a sign attached to a pole with his wife’s name on it – and wiped tears from his eyes.

Last Friday, Huimin Lin, 56, was crossing the faded crosswalk across this two-lane on-ramp, which connects Southcenter Boulevard to I-5, when she was hit and killed by an SUV. Lin was walking back to her daughter’s apartment after shopping at the Westfield Southcenter Mall.

After collecting himself, Zhiang, 63, who is from China, used a translator on his iPhone to convey his feelings about what happened. As he pointed to the crosswalk, he held up his phone to show the Chinese translation for the word “Unreasonable.”

"Unreasonable," he repeated, pointing at the crosswalk.

As Lin’s family and friends struggle to recover from the tragedy, they are embarking on an effort to fix what they say is an extremely dangerous crossing. On Tuesday night, Lin’s daughter, Jia Zhiang, and her boyfriend, Brent Mutter, asked the Tukwila City Council for help. And, they want to approach the Washington State Department of Transportation about safety measures. They want either a pedestrian bridge or a pedestrian signal - but they would even settle for better warning lights at the crosswalk.

Lin’s death has touched strangers, too. Seattle resident Justin Schutz was driving home from work in Renton last Friday when he saw the whole tragic accident unfold. Lin’s death moved him to erect the shrine, and to help the family do something about the crossing. He accompanied them to Tuesday's Tukwila council meeting.

In its current state, the crosswalk spans the I-5 on-ramp, allowing pedestrians to continue walking westbound along Southcenter Boulevard. A button at the crossing triggers flashing yellow lights, which are supposed to signal drivers to stop. Drivers seem to ignore the lights and speed by at 40 or 50 MPH.

Zhiang walked up to the memorial at the crosswalk on Tuesday afternoon, coincidentally at the same time Schutz was being interviewed there by Patch.com. Several pedestrians and bicyclists used the crosswalk in that time, but traffic did not readily yield to them. One bicyclist pressed the light and stepped into the crosswalk. He had to wait until at least a dozen cars sped by before one stopped to let him cross.

According to state law, cars must yield to pedestrians crossing the street, whether they're in a marked or unmarked crossing.

The driver of the SUV that killed Lin, a 69-year-old Seattle man, told police that he tried to swerve to avoid hitting the woman. Schutz said that he heard the driver say he was blinded by the sun, but Lin's family doubts that. Washington State Patrol is still investigating the incident.

Adding to the tragedy, Lin was familiar with this crossing, Mutter said. She has been coming to the Seattle area for several years, spending six months at a time living with Jia Zhiang and Mutter at their apartment in Tukwila. She would frequently walk to either Southcenter or Tukwila International Boulevard to do her shopping. Ke Zhiang just happened to be visiting his wife and daughter from Shenyang, China, when the accident happened.

On Tuesday night, before the city council meeting, Schutz, Mutter, Jia Zhiang, and Ke Zhiang shared drinks and snacks at the Macau Casino along Southcenter Boulevard. They embraced each other and talked about Huimin Lin and how her death affected them. Casino workers came by to listen and offer condolences.

Mutter said he doesn't want to assign blame to anyone, but the senselessness of Lin's death bothers him. Several witnesses said that Lin pushed the button to activate the crosswalk lights, but Mutter suspects there's a serious defect at the crossing that makes it an unsafe area for drivers and pedestrians.

“If [Huimin] was doing everything right, and [the driver] was doing something right, “Mutter said, “Then what happened?”

Patch.com will continue to follow this story and bring you updates about progress toward a safer crosswalk.

Image via Patch.com