Young Boy Injured in Pedestrian Accident
A pedestrian accident in Oxnard on March 27 resulted in the hospitalization of an 8-year-old boy after he was struck by a motor vehicle. My sympathy goes out to the child and his family, and I hope he will recover quickly.
What Happened
A spokesman from the Oxnard Fire Department reported that the accident occurred at the crosswalk of Bolker Drive and West Hemlock Street near Marina West Elementary School in Oxnard at about 7:45 a.m. A crowd gathered following the incident, and the injured child was transported for treatment to the St. John’s Regional Medical Center on North Rose Avenue. An Oxnard police representative reported that the boy suffered a broken femur. Fire officials said that the driver of the motor vehicle stopped and tried to help. Authorities said that the driver was evaluated following the car accident, and alcohol was not a factor.
Incidence of Pedestrian Accidents
According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, pedestrians in California currently account for about 22 percent of the state’s traffic fatalities, compared to an average of 32 percent nationwide from 2012 to 2015. Crash statistics reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that the number of pedestrians injured in traffic accidents in 2015 was 70,000 nationwide, an increase of 7.7 percent over the previous year.
Exercising Safety in School Areas
On streets located anywhere near schools, particularly at times when children are walking to or from school and pedestrian traffic is heavy, drivers need to be alert and remember that pedestrians have the right of way. Children are not always cautious when crossing streets and may try to dart across, not realizing that the driver does not see them or cannot stop until it is too late. In these areas, the driver has the responsibility to reduce speed and watch closely for children, even if a school crossing light is not flashing. Not all school crossings are equipped with a flashing light to warn motorists.
Teaching Children Pedestrian Safety
Parents can improve pedestrian safety for their children by teaching them to only cross at designated crosswalks, look both ways before crossing to ensure that it is safe to cross, and never dart between vehicles parked at the curb. With the increase in electric and hybrid vehicles on the road, the parent should also instruct the child that he or she cannot depend on hearing an approaching vehicle to cross because these vehicles make no noise.
Attorney Ed Smith.
Oxnard Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
I am Ed Smith, an Oxnard personal injury lawyer. When you, or a member of your family, have been injured in a pedestrian accident, please call me at (805) 372-0200 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400 for free and friendly advice.
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Photo Attribution: https://www.flickr.com/photos/greenlaneproject/22108020763 Courtesy of Adam Coppola
Source: http://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2017/03/27/child-struck-vehicle-oxnard/99689130/
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