Foot and vehicle traffic typically travel along the same routes in Las Vegas, and it may be difficult for a pedestrian to walk anywhere without going across a street at some point. Crossing at intersections should guarantee safe passage, but even with crosswalks and signals, drivers sometimes miss the obvious and cause an accident. Without any protection, pedestrians often suffer serious or fatal injuries in these collisions.
A single intersection was recently the location of two separate traffic accidents involving pedestrians. In one evening, a white truck and a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department vehicle each hit a person crossing Boulder Highway. In the first collision, the victim was in a wheelchair, and did not survive. The other, who was struck by the LVMPD vehicle, sustained severe injuries that led to death shortly afterward.
The investigation is ongoing, and much of the relevant information has not yet been released. Currently, it is not clear whether the pedestrians were following traffic laws when they found themselves in the paths of the vehicles. It is also not known if driver distraction played a role in either of the two fatal crashes, or if some other factor such as alcohol or excessive speed was responsible.
Victims of pedestrian accidents often sustain life-changing damages, including lost wages, lost quality of life, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. Family members also typically share in these burdens, and if the injuries are fatal, grief magnifies the issues. An attorney may be able to help people whose lives have been devastated by this type of traffic collision.
Source: KSNV News3LV, “Two pedestrians die from injuries in east valley accidents; one involves Metro,” Tony Garcia and Marvin Clemons, April 8, 2017
