Sadly, there has been a rise in pedestrian accidents all over San Diego County over the holiday weekend.
On Sunday, December 28, 2014, there were three separate fatal hit and run pedestrian accidents on Sunday night. Police are still investigating these pedestrian accidents which occurred in National City, City Heights and north of Oceanside near Camp Pendleton.
The first fatal accident occurred around about 6:30 p.m. near Highland Avenue on Plaza Boulevard in National City. According to police officials, a 75-year old pedestrian was struck and tragically killed in a crosswalk by a white, older model pickup truck. The truck fled the scene and the police are still looking for leads into locating what they believe is either a Nissan or Toyota truck and they suspect the front-end may have sustained damage on the passenger side. According to a local in the area, this is one of the busiest intersections in National City and there are no stop lights or any lights for a crosswalk in the area.
On the same evening, a man standing on the center divide in City Heights was hit and killed by a dark Lincoln Navigator. The accident occurred right outside San Diego Rescue Mission near 52nd Street and University Avenue in the City Heights area of San Diego. According to the police, the 23-year-old pedestrian tragically died at the scene of the accident.
Further north on Sunday December 28, 2014, a 24-year old man from West Hollywood was hit by more than one vehicle as he tried to run across the Interstate 5 freeway. Officials stated that about 11:20 p.m., a mid-size pickup truck fled the scene after hitting the pedestrian. When the man tried to get up after being hit, he was hit by a second SUV which lost control and hit three other cars, causing a multi-vehicle pile-up. The police have been unable to locate the white pickup that left the scene and no arrests have been made.
Finally, on Monday night, December 29, 2014, a pedestrian was seriously injured in UTC after being hit by a driver at the La Jolla Village Drive and Lebon Drive in UTC. A man visiting from Texas was attempting to cross the street headed east in the crosswalk. Two vehicles were approaching the 44-year old man. The first vehicle saw the pedestrian in the crosswalk and was able to stop in time; however, the second vehicle did not see the man and hit him in the crosswalk. The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital and suffered a significant head injury. According to the police, alcohol did not appear to play a factor into the accident.
These recent pedestrian accidents in San Diego County emphasize the dangers of pedestrians in the roadway. Pedestrians are at a disadvantage due to the fact that they are largely unprotected. Unfortunately, drivers of taxicabs, cars, trucks, and city buses don’t always observe crosswalks and fail to yield the right of way to pedestrians at intersections. When a pedestrian is injured by a negligent driver, the results are often catastrophic, if not fatal, as these recent San Diego pedestrian accidents illustrate.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one due to a driver’s negligence, pursuing a lawsuit or claim against the responsible party can significantly help your circumstances. Severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones or other catastrophic damages may require life-long medical care. You may be able to recover monetary compensation to recover for your out-of-pocket costs such as medical bills and lost wages, as well as pain and suffering damages you have incurred.
In California, as elsewhere, you have a limited amount of time within which you can file a lawsuit for compensation. A San Diego pedestrian accident attorney can help you avoid any potential pitfalls that might block or limit your recovery.
For a free consultation with a San Diego personal injury attorney ready to help you protect your interests, please call Martinez & Schill LLP today at 619-512-5995, or email us at [email protected]