ARTICLE: Teachers Aide Killed In Seattle Crosswalk

St. Alphonsus aide hit, killed at intersection

By Dean Wong

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Agnes Meserole, a teaching assistant in the preschool program at St. Alphonsus Parish School died after being hit by a car on Dec. 13.

The accident occurred in the crosswalk at Northwest 58th Street and 14th Avenue Northwest around 11 a.m. as Meserole, 71, was walking to school.

Witnesses immediately called 911 after the accident. Meserole may have been placing a letter in the mail box on the street's median when the car struck her. Meserole was in stable condition on Friday, Dec. 14 and died the next day.

According to glass artist David Smith, owner of the Blowing Sands studio at the northwest corner of the intersection, the driver of the car stayed at the scene until police arrived. Police are still investigating the accident.

Meserole shared her teaching assistant job at Saint Alphonsus with her sister Helen.

She has two grown children. Two of her grandchildren attend the school. David is in the fifth grade and Willie, the fourth grade.

"Everyone loved her. She had that New York sense of humor," said principal Robert E. Rutledge.

Rutledge visited the preschoolers after Meserole's death to talk to them. "They said she went to heaven," said Rutledge.

Meserole's funeral service on Dec. 19 was attended by over 300 people. School staff, friends, family, parents and students from the 4th grade and up were there.

Ballard resident Jo Galloway walks her two grandsons to Saint Alphonsus each school day.

Now she will drop them off in her car, even though the school is only three blocks away.

"It's just so dangerous. I won't do it anymore. I will drive, it's not safe," said Galloway.

One time Galloway said she was crossing the street and one car stopped, but another went around and through the intersection.

"That's why it is so dangerous," said Galloway.

"I think it is dangerous. People drive too fast. I have kids walking home," said Saint Alphonsus Parish School principal Robert E. Rutledge.

Years ago, the school received permission from the city to block off Northwest 58th Street during school hours. Children and staff cross the street to go to the playground and preschool facility.

A large amount of traffic uses 14th Avenue Northwest each day. It runs north and south from the ship canal to Ballard High School.

Rutledge is now in the process of contacting the city of Seattle and asking for a speed bump in the intersection.

David Smith, a glass artist who owns the Blowing Sands studio on the northwest corner of the intersection said there have been a number of car accidents here.

The street has a median with cars parked on it. People crossing the street will stop at one stop sign, but sometimes not the second stop sign.

"I've wanted to do something to change the street. In six years, there have been five accidents in this intersection," said Smith.

Smith is a member of the 14th Avenue Northwest Visioning Committee that wants the street improved. They would like to see the two lanes of traffic moved to the middle of the street and landscaping added on both sides with a rain water treatment system.

The committee did conduct a study with a speed monitor provided the city. Volunteers observed cars traveling down the street and recorded their speeds.

"The average speed was a little higher than the posted limit," said Smith.

Agnes Meserole is survived by her children Bill, Linda and David Meserole, grandchildren Kristin and Willy Meserole, along with many family members.

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