California Injury Blog
An 11-year-old girl suffered critical injuries in an Anaheim car accident after she was struck by a vehicle while crossing the street.
According to a news report in the Orange County Register, the major injury collision occurred the morning of September 17, 2014 at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Monterrey Street.
Officials say the girl attends Juliette Low Elementary School and was on her way to school when
the accident occurred. A crossing guard had apparently not arrived at the intersection to direct traffic when the incident occurred. The girl suffered critical injuries and was transported to a local hospital.
The driver of the car stopped at the scene and talked to police. No citations or arrests were reported. The incident is under investigation.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the critically injured victim of this car crash. We wish her the very best for a quick and full recovery.
Pedestrian Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2011 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were seven fatalities and 67 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Anaheim.
In Orange County as a whole, 38 were killed and 773 injured due to pedestrian collisions during the same year.
Crosswalk Laws
Based on this news report, it appears that the girl was walking in a marked crosswalk usually manned by a crossing guard at the time of the collision.
California law requires all motorists to yield the right of way to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks. Motorists are particularly required to slow down in school zones and exercise caution around young pedestrians.
California Vehicle Code section 21950 states: “The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.”
The same section also states that the driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk “shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of a vehicle or take any other action relating to the operating of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.”
Liability Issues
In this particular case, we hope officials are looking into what cause the driver to hit the young pedestrian. If negligence was a factor, the driver can be held financially responsible for the injuries, damages and losses.
It is also important to look into whether a dangerous roadway condition caused or contributed to the incident.
If that was the case, the city or governmental agency responsible for maintaining the roadway can be held liable for the incident. An experienced Orange County personal injury attorney will be able to advice injured victims and their families in such cases regarding their legal rights and options.