When snow slows the city to a crawl, it’s always tempting to grab a sled and go find the closest hill. Â Sadly, street sledding is dangerous, even when there are no moving vehicles nearby.
In 1989 Karen Maleng, daughter of late King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng, was sledding with two seventh-grade classmates on McGraw St. near the family’s Magnolia home when their inner tube went out of control and slid under a parked car. The head injuries the 12-year-old sustained proved fatal.
Instead of sledding on the streets, look for a nearby park or golf course, find a sled run clear of trees and other obstacles, put on a helmet, and have adults on hand to supervise.
