Big Rig Strikes Pedestrian on West Clark & Broadway
On Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at approximately 4:00 p.m., a semi-truck and trailer struck a pedestrian at the intersection of West Clark Street and Broadway in Eureka. A witness to the incident provided the harrowing detail that the victim had been dragged by the big rig after being struck.
Following the collision, the southbound number two lane of Broadway was closed off for some time as first responders attended to the injured man. Shortly thereafter, both southbound Broadway lanes were closed as officials gathered evidence for their accident investigation.
The man that was struck was transported by City Ambulance to St. Joseph Hospital with significant injuries, according to the captain of the Eureka Police Department. There has been no update on his condition as of yet. No arrests were made following the incident, and police say that impairment was not a factor in the event. Additional details on the cause of the accident from the police investigators have yet to be released, as the accident is still under investigation.
Pedestrian Accidents in California
As we have reported on this site, pedestrian accidents have been increasing in recent years. There have been a number of safety campaigns promoted by various agencies including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and California’s Office of Traffic Safety, with the goal of reducing the number of pedestrian injuries and fatalities. The NHTSA reminds us that we are all pedestrians at one time or another and that it is the duty of both pedestrians and motorists to work toward our roads being safe for everyone.
Watch the YouTube video – the NHTSA uploaded the “Walking Safely” video below, which is a language-inclusive infographic showing how to travel safely on foot.
Semi Truck vs. Pedestrian Accidents
Any time a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle, severe injuries or death can occur. When a big rig strikes a pedestrian, the odds of survival for the victim decrease significantly.
Statistics gathered by the NHTSA reveal that nearly three-fourths of all fatal pedestrian traffic events take place in urban settings, as opposed to rural areas. This would make sense because there are a far greater number of pedestrians in urban areas. Accident statistics from 2012 revealed that 14% of all traffic fatalities that year involved pedestrians. Of those incidents resulting in pedestrian fatalities, 90% involved a collision with a single-vehicle. The vast majority were passenger vehicles – nearly 85%. Only six percent of pedestrian fatalities in 2012 involved large commercial trucks.
While six percent seems small, statistics presented by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the same year – 2012 – revealed that of all deaths that involved large commercial trucks, fifteen percent were pedestrians. The IIHS numbers show that pedestrians are over-represented in semi-truck accident fatalities. This is likely because pedestrians struck by big trucks are more likely to succumb to their injuries than those who are hit by lighter passenger vehicles.
Eureka Personal Injury Lawyer
Hello, and thank you for reading. I’m Ed Smith, a personal injury lawyer in Eureka, California. Whenever a big rig strikes a pedestrian, nearly always the injuries are severe, if not fatal. We truly hope that the man that was injured this week in Eureka survives and makes a full recovery. Severe traumatic injuries have life-altering effects on both the injured person and his or her family. For nearly four decades, the injury lawyers at our firm have been advocates for Northern Californians who have suffered as a result of another party’s negligence. If you or a loved one has been hurt in an accident that was caused by someone else, call us for compassionate, free, and friendly advice at (707) 564-1900 or, from outside the local area, at (800) 404-5400, toll-free.
The sites linked below will take you to reviews from our prior clients:
Photo: https://pixabay.com/photos/crosswalk-traffic-asphalt-road-4417371/
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