Trick-or-treating children struck by car
Two children trick-or-treating in Santa Rosa were hit by a car Wednesday evening but are expected to survive, police said.
The 10-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl were crossing North Dutton Avenue in a residential area of Santa Rosa at 7:33 p.m. when they were hit by a car traveling north, said Sgt. Andrew Romero.
The adults with the children explained to police that they had been-trick or-treating along W. Eight Street and were crossing to the east-side of N. Dutton Avenue in the crosswalk, when a vehicle traveling north approached the crosswalk.
Both children were taken to the hospital and the driver stopped and cooperated with police, Romero said. Alcohol is not believed to have played a role in the crash.
The children were trick-or-treating with two adults on West Eighth Street who saw the car approaching, Romero said. The adults tried to hold the children back, but the two “darted past the adults” and into the street, Romero said.
It is was not immediately clear if the four are related.
Cause of the Santa Rosa Crash
While this devastating Sonoma County accident remains under investigation, the family members of those accident victims who were seriously injured would be well-advised to speak with an understanding and knowledgeable Sonoma County wrongful death lawyer. An attorney such as Gary A. Kessler who has successfully handled serious injury accidents can advise the victim’s family of their legal rights to hold the driver accountable and best course of action should they wish to pursue a wrongful death claim.
California Pedestrian Law
“Under California Vehicle Code Section 21950 (a) 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, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.
(b) This section does not relieve a pedestrian from the duty of using due care for his or her safety. No pedestrian may suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard. No pedestrian may unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
(c) 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 the vehicle or take any other action relating to the operation of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.
(d) Subdivision (b) does not relieve a driver of a vehicle from the duty of exercising due care for the safety of any pedestrian within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.”
Pedestrian Accident Statistics
Source: California Highway Patrol Statewide Integrated Traffic Report
Pedestrians need to be especially cautious on our roadways because they are more vulnerable to injury or death. There were two pedestrians killed and two injured in car accidents in Twenty-nine Palms in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrol Statewide Integrated Traffic Report. In San Bernardino County 39 pedestrians died and 440 were injured in 2009.
In California, there were 598 pedestrians killed and 12,418 injured in 2009, according to the CHP traffic report.
National data compiled by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Authority shows that pedestrian injuries and fatalities in the United States were up 4.9% in 2010 to 4,280 deaths and injuries were up 19% in 2010 to 70,000 people injured.
