Pedestrian Killed in Far Northeast Atlanta
The Hall County Sherriff’s Office reports that a pedestrian was killed in a Hall County personal injury accident in the early morning hours of Tuesday, September 3, 2013.
The victim was crossing State Road 211, near State Road 53, when she was hit and killed by an oncoming car. State Road 211 was closed for some time as authorities gathered evidence and spoke with witnesses.
Serious pedestrian accidents such as this are all too common, especially on roads where the pedestrian must walk on the shoulder or cross traffic without a light. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) further points out that most pedestrian deaths occur between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., or during the weekend, when motorists are less likely to be looking for pedestrians. NHTSA predicted that the overall number of pedestrian-vehicle accidents may fall, but that the injuries suffered in these incidents may become more severe.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
Like most other motor vehicle accidents, many pedestrian-vehicle accidents may share one or more common causes:
- Distracted Driving. Even if motorists are aware that pedestrians may be in the area, drivers may still be too distracted to adequately look out for pedestrians. Most pedestrian victims are either under age 10 or over age 65, perhaps underscoring the fact that drivers are simply not watching carefully enough.
- Speed. Although the incidents of pedestrian-vehicle accidents increases as the speed limit increases, less than 10% of pedestrian-vehicle accidents involve excessive speed. These statistics suggest that speed is more of an indirect factor. Drivers are watchful for pedestrians on neighborhood streets and side streets, but tend to ignore pedestrians on major roads and highways.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident, regardless of the cause, speak to the experienced attorneys at McPhillips Shinbaum to preserve any rights to recovery you may have.