17-Year-Old Pedestrian Fatally Struck at LA Crosswalk
On Dec. 15, a Los Angeles city street services truck hit and killed a 17-year-old boy who was walking to school. Andres Perez was walking over a crosswalk in the intersection of Figueroa Street and Avenue 60, when he was fatally struck.
The 27-year-old driver of the truck works for the city’s Bureau of Engineering and immediately stopped to help Perez. The driver did not immediately realize he hit the boy and was distraught to discover what had happened.
This tragic accident marks the fourth time someone has died along this portion of Figueroa. Residents are pleading for the city to put bike lanes in and improve crosswalks, to keep bike riders and pedestrians safe.
More pedestrian accidents in LA
Just a few weeks earlier on Nov. 27, another pedestrian was killed while crossing the street. A hit-and-run driver fatally struck a 33-year-old man who was walking outside of the crosswalk near the intersection of Haskell Avenue and Vanowen Street. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate the man, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police issued a $50,000 reward for information that would help them make an arrest.
Less than a week before that accident, a possible drunk driver crashed into a minivan in South LA — killing a mother and injuring her child inside the vehicle — and fatally striking a pedestrian. The accident occurred around midnight near the intersection of South Normandie Avenue and West Slauson Avenue. Police were also investigating the driver for speeding.
The pedestrian was 48-year-old William Walker, a member of the Persuaders Motorcycle Club. The mother was riding in the minivan with her husband and three young children. She died on the way to the hospital.
A total of 25,823 intersections saw a pedestrian-involved collision from 2002 through 2013, according to an analysis by the Los Angeles Times. This count doesn’t include multiple accidents at the same intersection or any collisions that did not involve pedestrians. A total of 583 intersections saw more than 10 pedestrian incidents.
Liability in pedestrian knock-downs
When a car traveling 30 mph or more hits a pedestrian, the victim typically sustains life-threatening injuries. Even if the car is moving at 10 mph when it strikes the pedestrian, the person can still become disabled.
When it comes to determining liability, the law of negligence is used to determine whether the driver or the pedestrian is at fault. For example, if the pedestrian was crossing the street illegally, they could be partially responsible for the accident, but if the driver was speeding through a red light, they would be at fault. It is possible for both parties to be determined negligent in California.
You deserve to be just as safe walking across the street as driving it. If you or a loved one was struck by a car while crossing the street, you need a strong legal advocate. Give the Los Angeles pedestrian accident attorneys at Ellis Law a call at 310-641-3335 to discuss your case and determine if you have a viable personal injury lawsuit.