When snow slows the city to a crawl, it’s always tempting to grab a sled and go find the closest hill. 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.
