California Injury Blog
A city street services truck hit and killed 17-year-old Andres Perez, a student who was walking to high school in Highland Park the morning of December 15, 2015.
According to a CBS Los Angeles news report, Perez was walking in a crosswalk at the intersection of Figueroa Street and Avenue 60, less than a mile from Los Angeles International Charter High School where he is a senior.
That’s when the truck
struck him. It’s not clear why the truck did not stop and yield to the pedestrian in the crosswalk.
But residents say the location where this accident occurred is a dangerous stretch of Figueroa. One resident said this is the fourth fatal accident along that stretch of Figueroa in the last 18 months. Community members are calling for bike lanes and improved crosswalks.
They also say the city should crack down on speeding drivers.
We offer our deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Andres Perez for their heartbreaking loss. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Los Angeles Pedestrian Accidents
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2013 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were 90 fatalities and 2,639 injuries reported as a result of pedestrian accidents in the city of Los Angeles. Countywide, 211 people died and 4,721 were injured due to pedestrian accidents during the same year.
Crosswalk Laws
Based on this news report, it appears that Perez was in a marked crosswalk when the city truck hit him. All motorists are required under the law to stop and yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in marked and unmarked 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.”
Liability Issues
In this particular case, if the driver is determined to have been at fault, both the driver and his employer can be held liable for the student’s wrongful death. A knowledgeable Los Angeles personal injury attorney will also be able to determine whether a dangerous roadway condition caused or contributed to the incident.
Under California Government Code Section 911.2, any personal injury or wrongful death claim against a governmental entity must be properly filed within six months of the incident.