College Student Injured in Scooter-Pickup Truck Collision
On behalf of Brown & Crouppen, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accident on Thursday, September 13, 2012
Injuries suffered by a 21-year-old woman in Cape Girardeau when her motor scooter was struck by a pickup truck highlight the dangers scooter riders face when they are struck by a larger motor vehicle. The woman, who is a student at Southeast Missouri State University, was in critical condition Sep. 12. Unfortunately, the number of accidents could grow larger unless car and truck drivers become more aware of scooters and their riders’ rights to the road.
The victim was riding her scooter at an intersection on Sep. 9 when she was hit by a large pickup. Her injuries were severe. Emergency personnel airlifted her to a hospital in St. Louis for treatment. The woman, who is a senior at Southeast Missouri State, is one of many students in the area who use scooters to get around. The trend has led to several accidents in recent years. There have been five such collisions in Cape Girardeau this year after 14 took place in 2011.
Part of the problem is that drivers of four-wheeled vehicles do not always keep an eye out for smaller scooters or realize that they are slower. In a 2010 incident, a driver distracted by a taco she was eating rear-ended a scooter, throwing the rider onto the windshield and roof of her car. The rider suffered severe road rash and back injuries.
Injuries to scooter riders are much more likely than people in cars or trucks. As the director of Southeast Missouri State’s police department said, “When that motorized vehicle goes up against cars and trucks, it’s going to lose.”
Source: Southeast Missourian, “Accident highlights increasingly problematic scooter issues, law enforcement says,” Scott Moyers, Sep. 13, 2012