A 2-year-old child was injured in a Fullerton car crash after an elderly man struck the stroller in which the toddler was riding, the morning of June 28, 2012. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the injury collision occurred in a crosswalk at the intersection of Yorba Linda Boulevard and Deerpark Drive. The 88-year-old man was driving a Lexus LS north on Deerpark and turned left onto Yorba Linda. He hit the stroller being pushed by the child’s mother.
Crosswalk Collision
The impact caused the child to be thrown from the stroller onto the pavement. The child suffered a head injury. The mother and a 9-year-old child suffered relatively minor injuries. All three were transported to an area hospital for treatment. Several witnesses who saw the collision yelled at the driver to stop, but he continued driving slowly. One of the witnesses followed the elderly man and stopped him about 50 yards away. The driver then remained at the scene and talked to police. Officials are still in the process of determining whether the driver “inadvertently stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake” just before he hit the stroller. The elderly driver’s license is also under review.
My heart goes out to the three injured victims of this pedestrian collision, especially the 2-year-old child who has suffered a head injury. I wish all three victims the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Pedestrian Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), one person died and 63 were injured as a result of Fullerton pedestrian accidents in 2009. During the same year, 41 fatalities and 864 injuries were reported as a result of pedestrian accidents in Orange County.
Pedestrians’ Right of Way
Based on this news account, it is unclear as to why the elderly driver accelerated instead of stopping and yielding the right of way to the pedestrians in the crosswalk. 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.”
Compensation for Injured Victims
I trust officials are looking into whether negligence played a part in this collision. Was the elderly motorist fit to drive? Police are apparently looking into whether the man should be able to keep his driver’s license. It is also not clear if the man deliberately started driving away from the scene or if he was disoriented. In such cases, injured victims would be well advised to contact an experienced Fullerton personal injury lawyer, who will stay on top of the official investigation and ensure that their legal rights are protected. Pedestrian accident victims and their families can seek compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages, cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation and other related damages.