California Injury Blog
A grandma walking her grandchildren to school the morning of May 21, 2009 was seriously injured in a Santa Ana pedestrian accident after she was struck by an apparently speeding driver. According to an article in The Orange County Register, the woman was walking her two grandchildren, a 6-year-old boy and 8-year-old girl, in a crosswalk on Holt Avenue at Vanderlip Avenue. Cars were stopped in the left lane, but a driver of a red Nissan Sentra who was speeding, slammed on the brakes and skidded into the victims.
The grandmother who moved in front of the children to block them from the pedestrian-car accident was thrown on the hood of the Sentra and then fell on the ground. She was taken to an area hospital with several personal injuries including a broken limb. The girl suffered minor personal injuries. The boy was not injured.
I’m extremely relieved that the children were not seriously injured from the car-pedestrian accident. My heart goes out to this grandmother who put her life at risk to protect her grandchildren. I hope and pray this injured victim has a quick and complete recovery. I also hope the driver of the Sentra is held civilly and criminally responsible for his reckless driving.
California law states that motorists must yield to pedestrians crossing the street in a marked/unmarked crosswalk or intersection. 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.”
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2007 traffic accident statistics, there were reports of nine fatalities and 127 injuries relating to pedestrian accidents in Santa Ana.
Based on this newspaper report, it appears that the driver was operating recklessly at a high rate of speed without paying attention to his surroundings. I trust investigators are also looking into whether he was driving under the influence at the time of the collision. The family of the injured woman would be well advised to contact experienced Orange County personal injury attorneys, who will diligently examine the facts of the case and help her receive the justice and compensation she rightfully deserves. The best Orange County personal injury attorneys will offer a free and comprehensive initial consultation to injured victims.