Why ID the driver? This has to be hard enough without everyone asking him about it.

Sad story. RIP. Saw this pedestrian with bicycle on side of road near HSU @ around 1830 last night. Barely saw him all in black, in the dark and dense fog.

Where is the line between dark and light clothing? If a pedestrian is wearing light clothing and gets hit by a vehicle at night does that change who is at fault? If not, then what's the point of mentioning dark clothing?

It's not about who's at fault - it's about safety. Lighter clothing is easier to see in the dark; the idea is that drivers will be able to see the pedestrian more easily and act appropriately to avoid a collision.
Pedestrians wearing dark clothing - especially those who are crossing in parts of the road that don't have as many safety features (crosswalks, lighting, lower speed limits, etc.) - put themselves at much greater risk due to the reduced distance at which they'll be visible to drivers. Especially when they're to the side of your headlights, it's often difficult to see them until they're feet in front of your car.
The point of mentioning dark clothing is another way of saying "wear white at night."

Amen to that!! Even if it means going topless!!

Heartfelt condolences to both parties involved, that said, it is my opinion that if you are out walking or cycling after dark, fog or no fog, common sense should tell us that light colored or better yet, reflective clothing may not be a bad idea! Another not so bad idea would be to stay well to the right of the fog line, use crosswalks or overpasses, if none are available and you have to cut across then look listen and haul ass!! That is if you actually want to survive. If not, you can wear some dark clothes, (at night), and trust the catchy "Share The Road" slogan and roll the dice. Point being, wearing dark clothing (camo) and playing in the freeway at night greatly reduces your life expectancy!! I said Good Day!!

You are only as visible as far as the beam of light can shine on a surface enough for it to reflect back.

It also goes then that drivers should assume there is a brick wall just beyond where the light beam illuminates the road ahead and drive at a speed that allows the driver to come to a complete stop before reaching the brick wall (end of the light beam).

Would this imaginary brick wall be built of reinforced concrete or just red brick and mortar? Would it have reflective road closed signs leading up to it? Street lights or a dead end sign clearly marking it? Did the imaginary workers building this wall wear dark or light colored reflective clothing while building it? I bet they did. Furthermore i bet the giant amber alert sign would probably say, Wake up drivers there is a brand new brick wall blocking the road at a mystery location, it is advisable to park your car in the road with lights off, put on your black jacket and walk down the freeway at night until you find it!! would it not be more feasible for pedestrians to do what they can to make themselves visible(light colored or reflective clothes, a light of some sort and stick to the shoulder of the road, while drivers slow down and be alert? Maybe we should all just build brick walls around ourselves and stay the fuck home!

No, it doesn't go that way. At no point did your comment contain a semblance of logic. No driver should ever have an expectation there might be a brick wall in the middle of a roadway.

I can't get my head around that, either.

Basic Drivers Ed - Driving at Night

Driving at night is more dangerous because 90% of a drivers reaction depends on vision, and vision is severely limited at night. (Depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision are limited at night.) Make sure you can stop within the distance lighted by your headlights. Glare can also reduce visibility.

The dark clothing adds a layer to our understanding of the pedestrian's recklessness. It is one of many elements that will be considered in whether the driver is found at fault for an offense.

Lighter clothing at least helps to see the person from farther away so you have more time to react and hit the brakes sooner.
An how about wise people just stay the hell out of ANY lane of traffic after dark.

Somebody playing dodge the dots on the freeway and lost.

Terrible story, this person crosses the highway there every night. I have been startled by them several time over past few weeks.

How about we also advise pedestrians to wear reflective clothing at night if they expect to be on the road and not expect to be seen if they are standing in an unlit, foggy roadway, wearing dark clothing at night?
Pedestrians just don't get how invisible they are wearing non-reflective clothing unless a light is shining directly on them. Even light colored clothing can be insufficient if you are on the side of the road, as there has to be enough direct light to reflect back in order to be seen at all. I'll often see a reflective strip on a tennis shoe or jacket 50 yards before I see the actual person who I can only see when I get right up on them too late to stop if they were in my path. Pedestrians need to pay more attention crossing roads on foggy nights and not expect a car to see them, as headlights can be seen much farther off than the driver can see the pedestrian. And yes, car drivers need to slow down as well. Driving the speed limit in town gives you more time to react.

I drive the speed limit and then some and have always had the time to react to the idiots driving too slow and slowing down for something 100+ yards ahead of them. All it takes it being prepared for something to happen and watching all that's going on around you.

howabout NOT DRIVING WHILE BLIND!!! Just as we teach our teens to NOT DRIVE if conditions are unsafe(usually due to substance impairment, or a combo of road conditions and impairment ) CALL SOMEONE if you happen to be 80 years old ,visually impaired ,and get stuck in a situation where you are miles from home-or even blocks from home --and fog has moved in, darkness has fallen, conditions have changed and it is NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE !!!! THEN JUST DONT DRIVE !!!!!

Got any proof the driver was blind? Or are you just an ageist asshole?

80 is not being ageist, it's too damn old to be driving. Test every 6 mos, at least.

I hope my kids have the sense to take the keys away from me long before I hit 80 if I don't give them up on my own.

I know of a man that just renewed his license at 106.

"Alcohol or drugs does not appear to be a factor..." If the same set of circumstances occurred but the driver happen to be leaving his buddies house after have a beer or two watching Sunday football, suddenly this would be a story about a wreckless DUI driver who is 100% at fault and should be sent to prison because of a careless, irresponsible ped.

The autopsy will reveal if the pedestrian was under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Their mental state, either temporary or chronic, could also be a contributing cause, but that may be hard to determine.

What I don't understand:
1) why is someone crossing 101 right there? There's nothing out there, and
2) why all these people getting hit by cars? Do they not look before crossing? Headlights are easy to see.

Maybe it's their final wish.... the bums live all through the underbrush along the mad river, and for that matter the underbrush of humboldt. I hope we get a very cold winter.

Yikes. You need Sempervirens to come pick you up.

I'm torn as whether to up vote you "I hope we get a very cold winter" as in get cold enough to get bums out of there and drive them to shelters or get cold enough to freeze them to death.

Probably headed to sleep under the new bridge. Under the bridge is a tunnel that's all secluded. Many homeless go there at night.

I appreciate Highway Patrol warning motorists to slow down in the fog, but why don't they take the time to warn transients not to stand in the road on a freeway at night in the fog, so innocent people (the driver) don't have to risk their life in a high speed accident.

If you reread that CHP statement, they did not suggest that motorists slow down.

Val is my 2 year older brother , an Eureka- Arcata-Mckinleyville resident since 1966, Music Professor, Head of Music School, and a twice retired Humboldt State dean, Seemed they needed him back in a difficult time after he was 70. Finally quit few years back to just perform in various orchestras in the N Cal area. Was first hired on to run the annual Chamber Music Festival each summer May still be the best French Hornist , occasional conductor in the entire state not performing weekly some big city. Music scores BTW are rather small . The HSU
Presidents call him our "Institutional Memory" and is about right. Great mental facilities and vision ( I judge him against me who could challenge Wing Commander Chuck Yeager who flew my wing in VietNam with famed 20/10 "Ace vision". I do use bifocals now but Val does not. drive with glasses required , just driving home from visiting a daughter and her kids S of Eureka and a few miles from home, Mckinleyville .
We've spoken and he feels was suicide by someone's else's car.with a woman on area watch for odd behavior by . Law enforcement and EMT responders. My question is why bring an innocent victim's age/vision, within legal speed under no influence into a tragedy. to be trashed here? Don I Phillips. Capt USAF, Retired

Don't be offended, it's just what we do here in the dome. It's not personal and you shouldn't read the comments if you are going to take them that way. The report shouldn't have released his name imo but they did.

Am a blogger and online msg bd investor and expect shameless comments anom. Val's a trouper, did his service 6 mo active and 49 Inf Div Band. Worst gig was Shriner E W Games at Kezar. Is .shaken but not stirred to action here. "Let it die" .. Was MY playgound protector San Francisco elementary years. Pleased to oblige though I never bumped anyone 200 missions. Usually on purpose and was required I figgered to get home to no acclaim in '67. sorry to say. Get more appreciation these days going to Target with Purple Heart plates and nice thots.. All must hate war, most wasteful thing in the world but love your warriors or soon may be none who'll bother. Naw, usually skips generations like recessive brown eyes/pattern baldness. DIP

I'm with you there. Yeah, should be a plan for all to do something more than combat global warmth as most immediate crisis !
He'll do fine. We're pretty tough cookies, Family headed down 66 when I was 2 weeks old Oct '37. Purely Grapes of Wrath characters grand parents 2 sons and and 2 daughters with kids in tow.. Settled in Oildale along with Buck Owens and moved to San Francisco where carpenter dad did defense work as 4-F vision night blind ness so built Treasure Island and Hunters Point. Moved to Salinas in '51 and our bus drove past Steinbeck's house on Central every morning to close the circle. Mom was a pioneer type and became a nurse in her 40's but was a sucker for every book salesman with a time payment plan for encyclopedias we'd read cover to cover then she'd get a new set. Both grads of San Jose St Music Dept and while he kept teaching I joined the USAF to not be drafted and made a career until disability retired, still a Capt. He put down root at Humboldt and I wandered world until hospitalized in San Antonio and was a sudden house dad so moved there. My roots a bit more shallow but since '79. Simply could not have selected a more sincere guy to have this happen as it did straight put of the blue or he says "light evening haze".

Hey man my mom was the pedestrian that night and would like you and you're family know it was not you're fault and as her son I would like to talk in person to Val and tell him myself that I'm sorry that happend to him and want him to know that it is NOT his fault

Mom I'm sorry that these people don't understand what happened to you those last couple days we took you to mad river hospital to be seen but you were delusional because of you're medication and u know you must have stopped by you're old crash site were you crashed you're neon. Mom I love you so much it was hard to see you try to get saved by the paramedics but you were already gone but I love you mom now RIP with papa and you're other son trevor and I will see you again in heaven I love you mom I'm sorry you wanted to walk home but you went missing before that but anyway these people won't hurt me with there stupid comments because they did not know what had happened to you... love you're son
Brendan T Day
R.I.P MOM I'LL SEE YOU IN HEAVEN AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ON NOVEMBER 22 OF 2015

Brendan, we're NOT stupid; we simply need to know what actually happened in what is, to me then a double tragedy, Just a few feet different in the middle of N bound 101 and loss of control she might have also killed my brother. Also may explains why the EMS crew knew of her. She actually crashed her car at the same place? That and serious meds may explain a lot. I'm pleased you have a faith to sustain you as does my brother Val. Knowing him best you'll probably hear at some point. .He's a pretty good counselor, as over 50 years now, thousands of his students can attest. Still in some personal agony over the recent sudden loss of my oldest nephew , Tom, and just visiting one of my nieces he's holding even closer now? It was something no person needs. Let us grieve a bit as well with you over your mom. Sorry can't quite cover it. Sincerely, Don Phillips

Nov 26 at 8:57 AM
"Small town. More known daily about last weekend. Thank you. We plan to get ourselves to Benbow.
When he was five, Thomas was riding shotgun with me. After awhile he looked over and said teasingly "someday ..I will drive and you will ride". Today l will let Matt and Joan drive. I will muse. Have a good day. Hail Sinfonia.'" Val

Bit personal but he's that kind of guy. Recalls my nephew Thomas . Matt runs equip dept, lumber store S Eureka.
Said had Trinity steelhead at the Admiral's Inn. Waark!I Avast!
Sinfonia is our Pro Musician's frat, Phi Mu Alpha, last 50+ years. Not a social frat but Sinatra
said, "Musicians are more fun than Earth people".
As a 78er? Can vouch 80 is the new 50 WHEN you make it.. Keeping track , 60 years a Hi school grad? 35% are gone. as a few more monthly. Call it good genes and we got ours as Levis 2nds, old Hall's Gilroy,old downtown 101.

This wasn't the driver's fault. It was the idiot in the middle of 101 on an extremely foggy night.

Twice I have had the crap scared out of me by people in dark clothing at late hours walking to one of the various homeless camps around Redway and Garberville. I hope people understand how dangerous it is to not were some kind of bright or reflective clothing because I certainly do not want to hit anyone.