Man Killed in Oak Park Bicycle Accident Identified

The bicyclist killed yesterday in Oak Park has been identified by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The victim was identified as 38-year-old Juan Carlos Navarro.

According to reports from the San Diego Police, Navarro tried to pass on the right side of a dump truck in an intersection crosswalk in 54th Street.

He was struck by the dump truck and responding paramedics failed to revive him.

Navarro’s family can consider filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver and also the city.

As the employer of the dump truck driver, the city can be held liable for his actions as well.

However, the family has to prove that the bicycle accident was not his fault but was caused by the negligence of the driver.

They should really consider getting the services of an expert car accident attorney for assistance.

SF Police Identifies Hit-And-Run Accident Victim

San Francisco Police has released the identity of the hit-and-run accident victim in the intersection of Alemany Boulevard and Congdon Street.

The victim was identified as Isaac Hudson, 84, of San Francisco.

The 2-car intersection collision occurred just after midnight and witnesses said that 3 men from the 2nd car ran away from the scene.

Hudson, on the other hand, died on his car.

All drivers are required to stop after being involved in an accident. Drivers are also required to provide reasonable assistance to people who are injured on the scene.

If the three people did not run, they could have helped Hudson and who knows, his death could have been averted.

Running away from the scene only aggravates their offense and they will be prosecuted for it.

For the family, if there is no way to identify the driver or owner of the car, they can make a claim under the uninsured motorist coverage of Hudson’s car accident insurance policy.

However, since the suspects may have left the scene by car, the police will have an easier way to identify the car’s owner, which makes the uninsured motorist coverage not applicable (unless the owner really does not have insurance).

Once the police identities the owner, the family can file a wrongful death lawsuit against him to recover damages they sustained for Hudson’s untimely demise.

Child Pedestrian Safety is the Driver's Responsibility

Death is never easy, and for parents who have lost their beloved children too soon, the death of their child is the personification of injustice.

The parents of a 5-year old boy who was struck and killed by a truck has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the truck driver, the employer of the truck driver, the school, the bus driver as well as the school employee who was watching over the children.

Zachary Cruz was in kindergarten at LeConte Elementary School. He was headed toward the UC Berkeley’s Clark Kerr Campus for an afterschool program when he got run over by the truck while crossing the street.

The police have ruled that Zachary’s death was an accident.

Pedestrian deaths account for 11 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities. While the rate of pedestrian deaths in motor vehicle crashes are the highest for people ages 70 and older, children still make up a huge percentage of pedestrians who are killed on the road.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Child pedestrians are at higher risk for injuries than adults as nearly one out of every five children ages 5 to 9 years who died in traffic were pedestrians.

The American Center for Disease Control and Prevention say that the smaller size of children make it difficult for motorists to see them and coupled with a child’s inability to judge distances and speeds as well as their lack of experience with traffic rules, make children vulnerable to getting hurt or killed as pedestrians.

Child pedestrian safety as a real concern. While some accidents are unavoidable, drivers should exert utmost diligence and care especially near crosswalks and school areas in order to reduce the chances of hurting a pedestrian.

Speed is also a huge factor in most pedestrian accidents, oftentimes, motorists go too fast to stop in time from striking a pedestrian who suddenly stepped off a curb or who is crossing the road. Drivers should reduce their speed to avoid not just motor vehicle collisions, traffic rule violations but also pedestrian deaths.

Children, given their tender age and lack of knowledge and experience are vulnerable in more ways than one. It is the responsibility of drivers and other adults to exercise greater care and caution and make sure that a child pedestrian is guided and protected at all times.