When Teenage Drivers Hit Pedestrians
July 23rd, 2009. Published under Legal. No Comments.
Statistically, young drivers are at higher risk to get into an accident. Even a cursory look at very recent reports of motor vehicle accidents shows that a number of these accidents involved teen drivers. Many of these cases involve pedestrian victims. Below we summarize recent reports of three such cases. Three of the four cases involve a fatality. The fourth case involves serious injuries.
Summary 1:
This motor vehicle accident involved a 16 year-old driver who was driving under a junior license. The accident occurred at approximately 9:20 on a Tuesday evening. The junior license prohibited driving past 9 pm. The driver lost control of his car, hit another car, and then slammed into a 65 year-old male pedestrian who was waiting at a bus stop. The victim died from his injuries a short time after being hit. The driver survived the accident with only minor injuries. He was, however, arrested and charged with speeding, manslaughter, and criminally negligent homicide.
Summary 2:
This motor vehicle accident involved an 18 year-old driver who was driving while intoxicated. The accident took place on a Sunday morning at approximately 2:30. The greatest percentage of drunk driving accidents occur on weekend nights. The driver struck a male pedestrian, 44 years of age, who was crossing a road. The impact caused the pedestrian to suffer severe head injuries. The driver was arrested. He was charged with driving while intoxicated and driving under the influence.
Summary 3:
This motor vehicle accident involved an 18 year-old male driving in a residential neighborhood at approximately 8:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning. The accident occurred when the teenaged driver lost control of his car. The car spun violently before it flipped over, struck the victim and slammed against a large tree in front of the house. The victim had just gotten out of his car to pick up a pamphlet from the front yard on a home with a For Sale sign when he was struck by an out of control car. The victim died as a result of his injuries. He was 67 year-old.
Summary 4:
This motor vehicle accident involved a 19 year-old female driver also driving in a residential neighborhood. She hit a woman who was in front of her home working in a flower bed with such force that the woman was thrown nearly 150 feet into a truck parked in her driveway. The teenaged driver fled the scene of the accident. She was arrested nearby approximately half an hour later as she was reportedly returning to the scene to take responsibility for the accident.
Whenever I read a report of a new accident my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. These types of cases are true tragedies. Victims who survive the accident are often left with injuries that result in permanent disabilities. In cases involving a fatality the family of the victim suffers the loss of a loved one. Even the life of the teen driver is forever changed. Yet, whether it is from speeding or from drunk driving these accidents continue to happen.
When these accidents do happen an experienced motor vehicle accident attorney can be of great help to victims and the families of victims. The attorney can help ensure that their voice is heard, that their rights are protected and that all sources of potential recovery are fully pursued.
Joseph Hernandez is an Attorney focused on catastrophic injury cases. Learn more about pedestrian accident cases at http://www.vehicle-accident-law.com/pedestrian-accident.shtml