Vallejo Woman Critically Injured in Pedestrian Accident
A resident of Vallejo was struck by a car while crossing the street and the most recently available reports say that she is still on life support.
Accident Details
The accident happened just before 6 a.m. while the victim, 28-year-old resident of Vallejo Samantha McKinney, was crossing the road at a crosswalk on Tennessee Street. A minivan traveling east failed to stop for her and collided with her head-on. Responding officers reported that the impact had enough force to knock McKinney about 50 feet away from the minivan, which caused her major injuries.
Pedestrian Critically Injured
McKinney’s condition was deemed critical enough by responders to merit an emergency airlift to the nearest trauma center in order for her to get immediate medical care for her life-threatening injuries. Friends of McKinney’s family have indicated that although she received emergency surgery after arriving at the hospital, she was afterward determined to be brain-dead and was subsequently placed on life support.
A Mother of Three
Tragically, Samantha McKinney is the mother of three young children. Michelle Caudillo, a close friend of McKinney, in an effort to provide for the medical expenses and possible costs of a funeral for her friend, has started a page on the fundraising website GoFundMe.
Criminal Charges
Police have not yet released whether or not the driver of the minivan that struck McKinney has had any criminal charges filed against them. The identity of the driver has also not been released. Witnesses who were present at the scene of the incident report that after the collision occurred, the driver stopped their vehicle, waited for police officers to arrive, and cooperated with them fully.
The incident remains under active investigation.
Pedestrian Risks
Pedestrian injuries like this one are known for being among the most serious auto accidents that can occur. Because pedestrians have no barrier between their bodies and oncoming vehicles, they are left entirely vulnerable to critical traumatic injuries. Even when struck by a vehicle that is traveling at a relatively low speed, the estimable mass of an automobile is likely to cause serious damage to comparably fragile pedestrian bodies.
A revealing study that was conducted on pedestrian injuries in Austin, Texas showed that pedestrians are most at risk of being struck by a vehicle when there is less light, such as at night or in the early morning before the sunrise. This study also showed that the most common error on the part of drivers involved in collisions with pedestrians is a failure to allow the right-of-way to people crossing the street.
Staying Safe
This data serves as a useful warning for pedestrians. Pedestrians should be very cautious when crossing roadways, particularly when it is not bright outside. Pedestrians should also never assume that it is safe to cross a road merely because they are in a crosswalk, or that drivers are guaranteed to see them while doing so.
Vallejo Pedestrian Injury and Auto Accident Attorneys
I’m Ed Smith, a Vallejo pedestrian accident attorney. If you, a family member, or somebody close has been harmed in an auto accident as a driver, passenger, or pedestrian, please call me at (707) 564-1900 for friendly advice. It costs nothing to call, and receive valuable information in a phone consultation. In other areas, I can be contacted at (800) 404-5400 free of toll.
For a period of over 34 years, I’ve been helping individuals and families in the Vallejo area receive the compensation that they are legally owed in auto accident cases involving wrongful death and personal injury.
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