A pedestrian was seriously injured in a California accident on Monday evening. The accident occurred at around 7:15 p.m. As two pedestrians were crossing Truxel Road at West El Camino Avenue, one of the men was hit by a car. The victim of the accident was taken to a hospital in critical condition. The Natomas accident remains under investigation. Alcohol and drugs were not involved. In any case that potentially involves a drunk driver, one can contact a San Francisco DUI Attorney.
California Highway Patrol records indicate that 14,047 pedestrians were injured by motorists in California in 2008. The injuries are often serious, and sometimes deadly, because of the force that a vehicle imparts to an exposed body.
In all pedestrian versus car collisions, witness accounts are essential. However there may be other information that can influence who will be deemed responsible, in whole or in part, for a collision. California Vehicle Code section 21950 says: “The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection”, and that a driver approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk “shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of a vehicle or take any other action relating to the operating of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.” Determining who is at fault in a pedestrian versus auto collision usually requires a very fact specific investigation that includes consideration of the speed of the vehicle, the visibility of the pedestrian, road conditions, and whether avoidance measures were taken.
