California Injury Blog
A 79-year-old La Puente man died and his 72-year-old wife was injured in a West Covina pedestrian accident when a vehicle struck the couple that was walking at a street intersection. According to a KTLA news report the incident occurred at the intersection of Fairgrove and Sunset avenues the morning of Dec. 13. The man and woman were walking west across Sunset Avenue within a crosswalk when a 2018 Chevy Cruze driven by a 27-year-old woman struck them.
Police say initial investigations showed the woman was making a left turn from eastbound Fairgrove Avenue to northbound Sunset Avenue, and failed to see the pedestrians. The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with police. DUI was not initially suspected. Anyone with information or anyone who saw the crash is asked to contact West Covina police at 626-939-8500.
We offer our deepest condolences to the family members of this deceased pedestrian accident victim. We also wish the injured female pedestrian the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Pedestrian Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2015 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were two fatalities and 35 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in the city of West Covina. In Los Angeles County as a whole, 218 people died and 5,161 were injured as a result of pedestrian accidents during the same year.
Laws and Liability Issues
Based on this news report, it appears that the driver of the Chevy Cruze made a left turn and struck the two pedestrians who appeared to be legally crossing in a crosswalk. 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.”
We trust police are looking into whether the driver was impaired, distracted or otherwise negligent at the time of the collision. If that was the case, she could be held financially responsible for the victim’s injuries as well as the pedestrian’s wrongful death. An experienced Los Angeles pedestrian accident lawyer will be able to stay abreast of the official investigation and help ensure that the rights of victims and their families are protected.
Source: https://ktla.com/2018/12/13/79-year-old-man-dead-wife-injured-after-being-struck-by-car-in-west-covina/