SEATTLE — More than two dozen north Seattle residents marched along Aurora Avenue on Saturday to remember the victims who have been killed by drivers on the busy street and other streets throughout the city.
"It's heart breaking. Someone lives an entire life for it to end in this way, it's very tragic and unnecessary," said Eudora Hawkes.
Hawkes is one of about 30 people marching along busy Aurora Avenue on the morning of Nov. 18, remembering victims like her sister, who was killed in October 2022 while crossing North 100th Street and Aurora Avenue North.
"She was struck crossing the street in her wheelchair, which obviously should never happen to anyone," Hawkes said. "Anyone should be able to safely cross the streets."
This is just one story, out of hundreds of traffic deaths that have happened on Seattle streets throughout the years.
"Tens of thousands of near misses. Every day along Aurora, there are near misses," said Lisa McCrummen of Aurora Reimagined Coalition. It's the community group that organized Saturday’s event, with hopes of bringing more awareness about traffic deaths and injuries in Seattle.
"I think they're going up, I think they're unacceptable," said McCrummen.
Since 2015 when the city implemented its "Vision Zero" campaign to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030, there have been more than 200 traffic deaths, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation.
“What we know is that people are driving faster and have bigger cars and we need to change our approach," said McCrummen.
That approach McCrummen wants to see includes three points of focus: lower speed limits, safer streets for pedestrians and better enforcement of laws to stop risky driving behaviors.
"We need to have Aurora be a priority for safety,” said McCrummen. “I want to get home safely, my neighbors want to get home safely, and we hope that Mayor Harrell and the Council will make that a priority."