A 47-year-old man who was killed in a pedestrian accident on the 22 Freeway the morning of September 6, 2010 has been identified as 47-year-old Dean Stewart. The Orange County Register reports that Stewart was hit by a big rig in the eastbound lanes of the freeway. The impact of the collision threw Stewart about 120 feet from where he was struck. California Highway Patrol officials say Stewart was attending to his pickup truck, which he had parked on the right shoulder of the freeway. Authorities are looking into if Stewart stepped into traffic lanes or why he might have done so.
I offer my heartfelt sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Dean Stewart. Please keep his grieving family in your prayers.
Traffic Accidents
There were 12 deaths and 717 injuries involving car accidents in Garden Grove, according to CHP’s 2008 traffic accident statistics. In Orange County as a whole, 152 people died and 13,414 were injured as a result of car accidents in 2008. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA), truck accident statistics, there were 304 fatal truck accidents and 3,196 injury crashes involving truck accidents, in California, in 2008.
Causes and Compensation Issues
Based on this news report, it is not clear how or why this fatal pedestrian collision occurred. I trust officials are also looking into whether the truck driver was impaired, distracted, traveling at an unsafe speed or driving in a reckless manner. They are also likely looking into exactly where Stewart was at the time of the collision. If the truck driver is determined to have been negligent in this case, then, both the driver and his or her employer could be held liable for Stewart’s wrongful death. The best Orange County personal injury lawyers will be able to better advise victims’ families in such cases about their legal rights and options.
The Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.