I’m Ed Smith. A Sacramento pedestrian fatality is always a tragedy. As a Sacramento Pedestrian Accident Lawyer for over thirty years, I have handled hundreds of vehicle versus pedestrian cases. Did you know that every 8 minutes a pedestrian is injured in our country? The new year has barely started and unfortunately we are already getting news of vehicle versus pedestrian accidents in Sacramento, California.
Sacramento Pedestrian Fatality
An unidentified man was fatally injured while walking in Sacramento along Interstate 80 on January 4, 2015.
What Happened?
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) the man was spotted walking along the highway (near Norwood Avenue) at about 1:30 a.m. Shortly thereafter, he was tragically hit and killed in the eastbound lanes of travel. It appears he was hit by more than one car. There is no word at this point as to why he was walking along the interstate. We don’t know if his car broke down or for what reason he found himself walking on an interstate at 1:30 a.m. in the morning.
Highway Closure
This early morning Sacramento pedestrian fatality accident prompted all eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 to be shut down in order for the CHP to perform an investigation.
Not all scene investigations are thorough and proper. Many times, traffic reports are in error. Think about it? How do you obtain a statement from a deceased victim? If the victim lost his life, he is unable to give his side of the story. This is why it is so important to preserve evidence located a the scene of the accident and on the victim as well.
Scene Investigation by a Sacramento Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
In every vehicle versus pedestrian case, a prompt investigation of the scene is vital. The scene of the accident may have tire tracks which show the vehicle’s direction of travel. Skid marks may be present as well as debris which can show the point of impact. There may be pieces of the vehicle still present on the roadway. Items like broken headlights or side mirrors should be collected. All road markings need to be photographed and measured.
The direction the pedestrian was travelling should be measured and photographed. Blood on the pavement should be measured and photographed as well.
A trained pedestrian attorney will have his investigative team find the car(s) involved. The car(s) should be photographed promptly and in various angles for damage. Close inspection of the outside and inside of the car should be performed looking for deformations, as well as blood, human tissue or hair. This type of evidence is crucial — especially when the pedestrian dies.
Determining Cause
To help determine the cause of the pedestrian’s injuries, clothing of the victim should be viewed and photographed, if possible while still on the body. Blood, dirt and smudge marks should be noted (promptly) to determine where the vehicle struck the victim. Again, the body of the victim should be photographed in detail. This helps determine which part of the vehicle struck the pedestrian. If the pedestrian is killed in the accident it is always necessary to perform an autopsy. This way all the the things mentioned above are still able to be determined.
Sacramento Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Pedestrian Accident Lawyer. Call me anytime for advice at (916) 921-6400. Call me toll free at 800-404-5400. You can send me an email if you prefer at [email protected].
I handle serious cases involving pedestrian injuries and fatalities throughout the state. You can find out more about my firm on Yelp and Avvo and Google.
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Image Attribution: Wikimedia Commons Public Domain Images (grief.jpg)
Source: KCRA3 News broadcast 6:00 a.m. Monday, January 4, 2015.