Pedestrian Seriously Injured after Being Hit by Car
On behalf of Brown & Crouppen, P.C. posted in Motor Vehicle Accident on Wednesday, October 24, 2012
In North St. Louis County Wednesday morning, a woman was hit by a vehicle near Bellefontaine Road and Claudine Drive according to a news report from STLToday.com.
North St. Louis County Police reported the woman was taken by medical helicopter to a hospital after being seriously injured in the accident.
The police report the women had parked her car on the roadside appears to have walked into traffic and was struck. There was no clear indication why she walked into traffic. The report indicates an accident-reconstruction team was investigating the accident scene.
Pedestrian accidents of all kinds are on an increase across the nation. Accidents like this may be caused by a person having car trouble, leaving their car, and failing to see an oncoming vehicle.
Pedestrian may be struck when they are crossing a street or highway and drivers in vehicles fail to see them. The National Transportation Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported in 2010, that 4,280 people died in pedestrian accidents, a number that showed a four percent increase from the previous year.
A significant concern is with distracted drivers and distracted pedestrians. Smart phones, with various apps, allow people to watch movies and surf the web anywhere, including sidewalks and along streets and highways.
It is important to remember that a vehicle travelling at 45 mph is moving at 66 feet per second. It only takes it 4.5 seconds to cover the distance of a football field. No matter where you are, if you are crossing street, don’t count on the driver to seeing you.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Pedestrian struck in north St. Louis County,” Kim Bell, October 24, 2012