Jaywalker Hit and Killed in Manhattan

Two separate vehicles struck two pedestrians in Upper Manhattan after the individuals reportedly jaywalked across 207^th Street and 9^th Avenue, leaving one seriously injured and the other dead. A 1999 Ford Explorer was the first to hit the two, sending the pedestrians flying into traffic. A second vehicle subsequently hit them.

Both men were taken to St. Barnabas Hospital in critical condition, where the younger of the two died. Officials investigating the crash say that the driver of the first vehicle hit his brakes, but was unable to stop in time to prevent hitting the people on foot. At this time, no charges have been filed against either driver, and both remained at the scene of the accident to speak with law enforcement officers.

Common scenarios of pedestrian accidents

Despite efforts to prevent fatal pedestrian accidents like this one across the city, they still occur on a regular basis. According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, some 70,000 pedestrians are injured annually in vehicle-related crashes, and more than 4,000 are killed. Of those fatalities, about 79 percent occur outside of intersections.

For their part, pedestrians should take special care when crossing the road, and consider themselves bound to safety laws just as drivers are. People on foot cannot always accurately judge the speed at which traffic is approaching, or may overestimate their ability to cross the street in time. Add in texting or talking on a phone, and pedestrians may pay a costly price for trying to save time by jaywalking.

On the other hand, many pedestrian accidents in New York are the fault of motorists who fail to pay attention. For more information if you’ve been seriously injured in an accident, meet with a dedicated attorney at [ln::firm_name] right away.