A Sequim woman has died following injuries she sustained after she was hit by a car while walking in a crosswalk outside of a church.
Lorraine (Reandeau) Anderson, 89, was hospitalized along with her sister JoVonne Lingvall, 87, after they were both struck by a vehicle about 5:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in front of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, 121 E. Maple St. in Sequim.
Anderson and Lingvall were injured following a Saturday night mass.
Anderson died at 3:45 a.m. Nov. 18 at Olympic Medical Center, family members confirmed.
Sequim Police Sgt. Mike Hill said the case remains open as they await potential video footage of the incident to see if an unnamed 41-year-old driver will be charged criminally or if it’s deemed “an unfortunate accident.”
The man was issued a traffic violation for “failure to yield at a crosswalk,” Hill said.
Witnesses said the driver was traveling at a relatively low speed and church parishioners helped with medical aid, Hill said.
“Mom took a brunt of the hit and JoVonne was clipped, but both were thrown,” said Debbie Thompson, Anderson’s daughter.
Lingvall was later airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for brain bleeding, but she was released and is recuperating at home with a cracked leg bone, Thompson said.
Thompson said another aunt saw the incident.
“People who witnessed it were very traumatized,” she said.
Anderson moved to Sequim from the Dakotas with her family around age 8, Thompson said. She was raised in Sequim and spent her married life in Port Angeles, mostly as a homemaker with her husband, Bill Anderson, who died about 15 years ago.
Anderson returned to Sequim as a widow and remained active, Thompson said.
“She was vibrant and loved life,” her daughter said. “She was stable and enjoying life and her independence.”
Thompson said family and friends would describe her mom as “spicy,” “lively,” and “if she came into the room, she came in loud.”
Anderson attended St. Joseph’s for years. Saturday night mass was a common routine, family members said.
“She had literally just left (mass) and was walking across,” Anderson said.
Prior to the collision, Anderson had a two-year battle with cancer, Thompson said.
She found that aspect of her mom’s tragedy the hardest to take because Anderson had rallied so hard to recover.
“We see it as if she was given a period of grace to have (the) most amazing summer and fall,” Thompson said.
In previous years, Anderson liked to hike, dance and work in her yard.
Anderson is survived by three children, Debbie, Mike and Paula. Her son Jim Anderson died of cancer this past June. She has eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Anderson often told others, “My grandchildren and (great-grandchildren) are all beautiful, and I love each and every one,” Thompson said.
Family members are consulting the church about a potential funeral service with donations accepted in Anderson’s name to the Sequim parish at: St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, 121 E. Maple St., Sequim, WA 98382. Contact the church at 360-683-6076 or sj@clallamcatholic.org.
Parish administration said they plan to approach Sequim city leaders about measures to make the crosswalk and Maple Street safer.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
