California Injury Blog
A driver running a red light at a Gardena intersection hit a 3-year-old boy and his mother — severely injuring the child — as they were crossing Crenshaw Boulevard at 135th Street, according to an article published in the Daily Breeze. The driver, 75-year-old Eldon Davis of Inglewood, struck the pair as they were walking on a marked crosswalk after failing to stop for a red light, according to a California Highway Patrol official.
The car then veered off the road and hit a power pole near the intersection’s northeast corner, pushing the young boy into a storm drain, he said. Emergency crews responding to the 5:30 a.m. accident freed Jeffery Mathelus from the ditch and transported him with his mother, 26-year-old Guirlaine Bonhomme of Hawthorne, to County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, according to the report. Bonhomme suffered moderate injuries, while her other child, a 5-year-old who was crossing the street at the same time, was not struck or injured. Officials say they are “worried” about the 3-year-old’s condition.
Hospital spokeswoman Julie Rees said the family requested that no information be released about their conditions. Davis, who suffered minor injuries, was taken to Centinela Freeman hospital in Inglewood. Highway Patrol officers were continuing to investigate the accident Friday afternoon and had not determined whether the morning rain showers contributed to the crash. But CHP officials said it wasn’t raining when they got there but that the roadway was damp. Davis has not yet been arrested in connection with the accident because the investigation is pending.
Over the last decade, collisions due to red light violations have increased dramatically compared to all traffic collisions overall, according to an article in the Alameda Sun. More than 55 percent of Americans admit to red light running and 65 percent see someone run a red light at least once a week. Not only does this pose a serious danger for drivers, but it causes confusion and life-threatening danger for cyclists, pedestrians, children and the elderly, who are more exposed to severe injuries because they are not in a covered vehicle.
I think we are seeing more red light violations due to the increased amount of distractions drivers are subjected to. With iPods, navigation systems, text messaging, wireless internet connections and mobile phones, we as a driving public are not as focused on our driving as we may have been a decade ago.
Please pay attention to the road ahead, especially those stop lights.
If you or a loved one have been injured as a pedestrian, please call me, John Bisnar at 800-259-6373, for your free consultation.