Is Tacoma Intersection Safe? City Pays $2M to End Claims of Danger

Tacoma Settles for Over $2 Million in Pedestrian Injury Case

Tacoma has agreed to pay more than $2.3 million to settle claims that an unmarked city intersection posed a known danger to pedestrians when two young girls were seriously injured by a car in 2018. The City Council approved the settlement with a 6-0 vote, according to video footage of the meeting. The agreement was reached just days before the trial was scheduled to begin, and the city has not provided any public comments on the matter.

The incident occurred on July 6, 2018, when a 16-year-old girl and her 3- and 7-year-old sisters were crossing South 12th Street at the South Puget Sound Avenue intersection. At the time, there was no designated crosswalk, and the intersection had stop signs on South Puget Sound Avenue but no traffic control on South 12th Street. According to the lawsuit, the teen was carrying the toddler when both girls were struck by a westbound vehicle. The youngest child was thrown several feet from her sister’s arms, while the 7-year-old narrowly avoided being hit.

The driver, Dewayne Watkins Jr., was 26 years old at the time and was driving without insurance. He pleaded guilty in 2019 to two counts of vehicular assault and received a one-year prison sentence. Police determined that he was traveling at 53 mph in a 30 mph zone and slid 21 feet before hitting the children. Had he been obeying the speed limit, the collision might have been avoided. Watkins was also named as a defendant in the lawsuit but never appeared in court.

The lawsuit alleged that the city had knowledge of the intersection’s dangers and failed to adequately mark it for pedestrian safety. In response to the suit, the city denied any breach of duty and claimed there was no direct causation between its actions and the crash. It also suggested that some responsibility lay with the plaintiffs.

Attorney Erica Buckley, who represented the victims’ mother, Sallee Turner, said the children have largely recovered from their injuries but still experience some lingering effects. The oldest victim, now an adult, suffered head, neck, knee, and back injuries, while the 3-year-old sister sustained skull and spinal fractures, respiratory failure, and abrasions.

No Crosswalk Installed After Seven Years

Seven years after the accident, the intersection remains without a designated crosswalk. Buckley, who is also an Edgewood City Council member, expressed disappointment that such a simple change was not made. She pointed out that Franklin Park, a popular destination, is nearby, and the area includes a sprayground and Franklin Elementary School. She believed that installing a crosswalk would be a cost-effective solution to prevent future incidents.

In court filings, the city’s legal team argued that there were no prior complaints about the intersection and that no other pedestrian accidents had occurred in the area during a study period from April 2011 to April 2021. They also noted that there are warning signs nearby, including "SCHOOL" pavement stencils and a marked crosswalk near Franklin Elementary School. However, they acknowledged that a crosswalk at this specific location could potentially discourage pedestrians from using safer alternatives.

Pierce County Superior Court Judge Andre Penalver rejected the city’s attempts to dismiss the case and later denied its request for reconsideration. Buckley mentioned that the intersection is currently under review as part of Tacoma’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2035. While she praised the city’s improved approach to traffic safety since 2018, she emphasized that the intersection should have received proactive attention earlier.

Community members raised concerns about the intersection after the crash, and Buckley hopes these efforts will lead to meaningful changes. “We don’t need to wait until a tragedy happens,” she said. “Once the tragedy does happen, there should be swift action to remedy this.”

In 2023, Turner and her partner reached a $300,000 settlement with American Family Insurance Company through a separate lawsuit. The city was initially involved in that case but was dismissed before the most recent suit was filed. Buckley stated that the insurance settlement did not fully cover the damages incurred by the victims.