In the winter months as the days become shorter, people are forced to spend more time outside when it is dark. For many people, the commute to and from work may be without much sunlight. For pedestrians, a few hours without daylight can be dangerous. Even in a large city like Seattle, where street lights and store fronts provide some light, it can still be hard for motorists to see pedestrians in the evening and early morning hours. Sometimes, that causes deadly consequences.
Recently in Washington, a 76-year-old woman was killed after being hit by a car. According to reports, this pedestrian accident occurred in Shoreline around 7:30 p.m. Initial reports indicate that the woman had been crossing a road when she was hit. However, at the time of the accident the woman was not in a crosswalk. Furthermore, the woman had been wearing dark clothes.
Police say that the driver did stop following the accident. While police are still investigating the accident, they have said that they do not believe that speeding, alcohol or drugs contributed to this auto-pedestrian accident.
Accidents — like this one — between a car and a person are often very serious. While pedestrians can protect themselves some by staying in crosswalks and by wearing light colored clothes, they are still no match for a car, truck or motorcycle. Therefore, the injuries — and subsequent costs — associated with these accidents is very high and fatal accidents are common.
When negligence plays a role in an auto-pedestrian accident, the negligent driver can be held financially responsible for the accident. Negligence can take many forms including drunk driving or speeding. However, negligence also includes dangerous behavior such as texting and driving, talking on the phone, not paying attention to the road or violating other traffic laws.
Source: The Seattle Times, “Pedestrian killed in Shoreline accident identified,” Bob Young, Nov. 16, 2013