A couple of weeks ago on our Fayetteville personal injury law blog, we had mentioned that the North Carolina State Highway Patrol would be increasing its monitoring of school zones in an effort to reduce car accidents and pedestrian accidents that tend to spike during the first few weeks of the new school year.
Although a data analysis of accidents suggests that many crashes during the beginning of the school year involve young, inexperienced drivers, we must not forget to warn all other motorists to pay attention to pedestrians, especially near bus stops and schools. With school starting, more children and teens will be crossing the streets as other folks are on their way to and from work. When students and drivers do not pay attention to the roads, a serious accident or fatal accident could occur. If an accident does happen, a driver could be held liable for a pedestrian’s injuries or wrongful death.
Last week, the school year began with a tragic start for many folks in Fayetteville. After his first day of his sophomore year in high school, a teen was killed while crossing the street. He was struck by an SUV.
The fatal accident occurred on August 27. Fayetteville police reported that the accident happened shortly after 5 p.m. The 15-year-old student and his friend were crossing a busy intersection. The teens made it to the center of the road when one of the teens stopped for traffic. The other teen kept walking and was struck by an SUV. The teen died from his injuries at the hospital.
Since the pedestrian accident, the teen’s family and community members have requested that a traffic light and crosswalk be installed at the intersection where the teen was killed. Although it is too late to change what has already happened, the community and the teen’s father believe that these changes could help to save other lives.
Source: 11 ABC News, “Teen killed crossing street in Fayetteville,” Aug. 28, 2012