Carl Scaffide, 65, of Huntington Beach, was killed in an Orange County car accident after he was struck while walking near a major intersection. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal pedestrian collision occurred near the intersection of Beach Boulevard and McFadden Avenue in Westminster, the early morning of September 21, 2011. Scaffide was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the vehicle was uninjured. Officials do not believe alcohol was a factor. An investigation is ongoing.
I offer my heartfelt sympathies to everybody who knew and loved Carl Scaffide for their tragic and devastating loss. Please keep this grieving family in your thoughts and prayers.
Pedestrian Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), one person died and 24 were injured in pedestrian accidents in Westminster. In Orange County as a whole, 41 fatalities and 864 injuries were attributed to pedestrian accidents, during the same year.
Crosswalk Laws
This news report does not state where the pedestrian was walking at the time of the collision. It is not clear if he was near or at the intersection, in a marked or unmarked crosswalk. Under California law, motorists are required to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in crosswalks.
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.”
Fault and Liability
If the motorist is determined to have been at fault, he or she can be held liable for Scaffide’s wrongful death. In such cases, victims’ families would be well-advised to contact an experienced Orange County personal injury lawyer, who will analyze all aspects of the incident and ensure that the negligent parties are held liable. The best personal injury law firms will always offer a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation to injured victims and their families.
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