Two adults and two children were severely injured in a Santa Ana car accident after a Volvo sedan plowed into a group of pedestrians at a street intersection. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the major injury collision occurred the afternoon of November 3, 2011 at the intersection of Civic Center Drive and Spurgeon Street. Santa Ana police say two women were pushing strollers across Civic Center Drive when the westbound Volvo struck the pedestrians. The car landed on top of a 3-year-old girl and struck the two women as well as a 1-year-old boy. One other pedestrian, a 5-year-old boy, was not struck.
The women and the two children were transported to a local trauma center in critical condition, but they are expected to survive. The driver, a woman in her 50s, was also transported to a hospital for a medical condition. However, it is not known at this time if the medical condition caused by the crash or occurred before the collision. Police say the driver did not see the pedestrians who were crossing at an intersection where there is no marked crosswalk. An investigation is still ongoing.
My heart goes out to the injured victims of this pedestrian accident. I’m relieved to note that they did not suffer life-threatening injuries. I wish all the victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Pedestrian Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were seven fatalities and 145 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Santa Ana. In Orange County as a whole, 41 people died and 864 were injured in pedestrian accidents, during the same year.
Crosswalk Laws
Based on this news report, it is unclear as to why the driver of the Volvo failed to stop and yield the right of way to these pedestrians. Under California Vehicle Code Section 21950, motorists are required to yield the right of way to pedestrians who are walking in marked or unmarked crosswalks. 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.”
Protecting Victims’ Rights
I trust officials are looking into whether speed, alcohol, distracted driving, or some other form of negligence caused or contributed to this incident. Injured victims in such cases would be well advised to contact an experienced Santa Ana personal injury lawyer, who will stay abreast of the official investigation and ensure that their legal rights and best interests are protected. Victims can seek compensation from the at-fault driver for damages including medical expenses, loss of wages, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.