Well, crossing the street in that manner wasn't the smartest thing to do either. The person shouldn't have been run over, but we accept some risks while walking bicycles across multi-lane highways at night without watching for oncoming traffic.
The accident occurred on a surface street in a fairly busy area right down the street from ASU's main campus where there tend to be a lot of pedestrians and bikers
It's all designed for cars, and not for pedestrians. And it's really tempting to j-walk if you're ever stuck walking somewhere.
And then I remembered: Pedestrians are simply not afraid enough of cars. They blithely assume the driver can see them, that the driver is a human (!), that the driver wants to avoid hitting them, that the driver has quick reactions, and that the car's brakes are in good working order. Those are a lot of assumptions to bet your life on.
It's much safer to cross streets assuming every car is trying to kill you.