Eureka Trailer Accident Injures Two Pedestrians
I’m Ed Smith, a Eureka auto accident lawyer. On Monday, October 30, 2017, a trailer that unhitched from an SUV struck and injured two pedestrians.
Accident Details
The collision was first reported to Eureka Police Department (EPD) and around 3 p.m. EPD received reports indicating that a vehicle versus pedestrian accident had injured multiple individuals and dispatched EPD officers as well as personnel from Humboldt Bay Fire Authority to the site of the accident. Once they arrived, officers found that a woman and man had been struck by a ball-hitch trailer while walking along the sidewalk on Myrtle Avenue.
Witness Report
Sharlee Combs, a woman who witnessed the accident, said that she had been walking in the opposite direction of the couple when she saw the collision happen about 15 feet away from her. Combs noted that a small trailer like one used to haul garbage had been attached to a white Ford Explorer and detached before striking the couple. Combs indicated that the collision knocked the woman to the ground where she lost consciousness and left the man with a severe laceration on the back of his leg.
Combs also said that the fast-moving trailer only came to a stop when it collided with the back of the Explorer that had been towing it. Photos from the scene of the crash show little damage to the back of the vehicle.
Injuries
Police told reporters that both of the victims received moderate injuries and were immediately transported to a nearby hospital in order to receive emergency treatment. The specific nature of the couple’s injuries has not yet been reported.
The driver of the Ford was not reported to have received any injuries.
Investigation
The causal factors of this accident are still under investigation by EPD. It is not yet clear if the trailer was improperly secured or if circumstances such as roadway or product defects caused the trailer to detach from the vehicle.
Additionally, witnesses did not indicate that the driver of the vehicle had been speeding or driving recklessly.
Pedestrian Injuries
Pedestrian injuries have the potential to become very serious, even when vehicles are traveling slowly. The California Office of Traffic Safety’s most recent data shows that an average of 30 pedestrians are killed or injured in vehicle accidents in Eureka every year.
Reducing the chance of pedestrian collisions is a responsibility that both drivers and pedestrians share. In order to make roads safer for pedestrians, drivers should always pay extra attention to pedestrians and allow them the space they need to safely walk where they are going. Pedestrians should do their best to remain visible and walk predictably when walking near traffic so that drivers can anticipate their movement.
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Eureka Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Eureka auto accident lawyer. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, please contact me at (707) 564-1900 for friendly, free advice. You can also use (800) 404-5400 or visit AutoAccident.com to reach me.
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