After a woman was hit by a car and killed while crossing U.S. Highway 30 in Knappa, some in the community are calling for changes to the intersection.

On Nov. 10, 25-year-old Hannah Olson was trying to cross the highway at the intersection with Old Highway 30 near milepost 82 at about 6:30 p.m. when she was struck by a vehicle traveling eastbound.

Several residents have pointed to Olson’s death as preventable, stating that increased safety measures for pedestrians are needed at the intersection, which has two yellow flashing lights and a 50 mph speed limit.

“It’s difficult to cross there in a large, yellow bus, let alone if you want to cross (on foot) from one side to the other,” Lisa Graham, a teacher and bus driver at the Knappa School District, said.

Houses, restaurants, a fire station, a market, a coffee shop and other destinations on both sides of the highway lead to busy foot and vehicle traffic.

“There are so many children that cross the road there to get to the store or the coffee shop and you see them run across on the bikes every day, all day long,” Crystal Schroeder, a resident, said.

With restaurants on both sides of the highway, Schroeder added, people frequently attempt to cross the intersection at night.

Bill Jablonski, the area manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation on the North Coast, said they have seen an uptick in pedestrian-vehicle crashes across the state.

“It’s unfortunate that we have these crashes where you have pedestrians in live traffic — that’s never a good mix, regardless of the situation,” he said.

Concerns

Residents have cited speeding drivers and a lack of nighttime lighting as major concerns for people trying to cross.

The speed limit was reduced a number of years ago from 55 mph to 50 mph. But some, like Gretchen Teevin, the restaurant manager of The Logger along Highway 30, feel that 50 mph is still too high.

“The speed limit going through here when we have two restaurants, a store, a fire department — 50 is pretty fast with traffic coming through constantly,” she said.

In the aftermath of Olson’s death, Clatsop County implemented a speed feedback board — with blue and red flashing lights — for eastbound drivers approaching the intersection.

But that has not deterred many from speeding, Graham said.

“Every time I go down that highway, the lights are flashing,” she said. “People are going way faster than 50 mph when they go through there.”

The Department of Transportation is awaiting a report from Oregon State Police on the fatal crash, Jablonski said, which will help determine if any measures need to be taken. But the state is already doing preliminary review to see if lowering the speed limit is necessary.

Jablonski said he has been invited to speak to county commissioners later this month about traffic safety in Knappa and elsewhere across the county.

Since Olson’s death, Jablonski said, the Department of Transportation on the North Coast has received about a dozen inquiries in regard to the intersection.

While some have called for a reduced speed limit or additional lighting, others are asking for more significant steps to improve safety.

Jablonski said they have gotten requests for a pedestrian crossing, a stoplight and an overhead bridge.

While an overhead bridge or an underpass would be preferable, Schroeder said, a pedestrian crossing could be a realistic and effective option.

“The lights are really high up. You really can’t see off to the side of the road that well. I do believe that if there were at least flashing lights for a crosswalk like they have by Geno’s (Pizza and Burgers) here in Astoria, that might help at least,” she said. “And it might be a little more affordable for the state.”

While Jablonski empathized with concerns for enhanced pedestrian safety at the intersection, he cautioned that fixes are not always easily implemented due to challenges with funding and compliance.

“All of those options are pretty expensive right now and they don’t happen overnight,” he said. “They come with a lot of analysis.”

In addition to engineering options, Jablonski said, the state may also look at enforcement and education.

“It’s an unsafe environment for a pedestrian to be out in live traffic,” he said. “ … The biggest thing I can suggest is to make yourself visible, don’t wear dark clothing. If the intersection has illumination, stay under the lights, don’t go into the shadows of those areas and just really be careful when you’re trying to cross because cars are going at least 50 mph.”

‘This should have never happened’

Family and friends gathered at the Wickiup Grange Hall in Knappa last week to celebrate the life of Olson and her mother, who died near the end of last year.

The deaths followed the passing of Olson’s father.

People close to Olson recalled her fearless personality, caring nature and love of music and the outdoors.

“She was quite a character. She was never afraid to speak her mind regardless if you were her friend or a stranger,” Schroeder said. “She was just always willing to lend a hand and just always wanted to better herself.”

Prior to the crash, Olson, who worked as a waitress at The Logger, had dined at the restaurant on her night off. She left, Schroeder said, with plans to meet friends at Knappa Pizza and Bar, the restaurant directly across the highway.

“This should have never happened to her,” Teevin said. “She was a young girl full of life and just had a grilled cheese sandwich and water and was going to meet her friends across the street to play cribbage.

“Then gone in an instant.”

A memorial for Olson was set up along the highway near where the crash took place. Across the street sits another memorial for Enrique Sutphin, a 24-year-old who died as a passenger in a car crash at the same intersection in 2020.

Residents hope new safety measures will help prevent more deaths.

“I just hope that something gets changed so it doesn’t happen again,” Teevin said.