Massachusetts woman critically injured in pedestrian accident
Traveling by foot in a world that is dominated by motor vehicles is becoming a dangerous undertaking in the best circumstances. In light of the numerous reports of people being injured in a pedestrian accident, Massachusetts residents may wonder if they will be able to arrive safely if they choose to walk to a destination. Recently, police were called to another of these serious accidents.
A 22-year-old woman was crossing a street near a local cemetery when she was struck by a car. She was reportedly using a the marked crosswalk at the time of the 5:30 p.m. accident. She suffered critical injuries when she was hit and became trapped underneath the vehicle. Emergency workers were forced to elevate the car in order to free the woman.
The victim was transported by ambulance to the nearest medical center for treatment. She was listed as being in critical condition at the time of the report. There was no further information concerning the nature of her injuries. The Massachusetts police are still working to complete their investigation.
The driver has yet to be charged with any violations in connection with the pedestrian accident, and the captain with the responding police department stated that the weather conditions may have played a role in the accident, as visibility was purportedly reduced. Regardless of the existing driving conditions, it is the responsibility of all drivers to take weather and traffic conditions into consideration whenever they are behind the wheel. In this case, the victim was in a clearly marked crosswalk, and she should have had a reasonable expectation of crossing safely. If she survives her critical wounds, she may seek to determine whether there is enough evidence of neglect on the part of the driver to file a personal injury suit, in order to obtain a financial settlement that may enable her to recover without the added stress of medical bills and other accident-related monetary damages.
Source: masslive.com, “Northampton pedestrian critically injured in Bridge Street accident; no charges filed against Easthampton driver“, Patrick Johnson, Dec. 10, 2014
