An elderly woman was recently killed when she was struck by an intoxicated driver, who then attempted to flee the scene of the accident. Learn about the accident below, and contact a seasoned Henderson car accident attorney for help if you’ve been hurt in a crash in the greater Henderson area.
Fatal accident on Boulder Highway at Indios Avenue
The recent accident occurred on Monday, December 10, 2018. A 78-year-old woman was walking west down Boulder Highway in Las Vegas, crossing at the intersection with Indios Avenue slightly before 8:45 pm that evening. While she was in the crosswalk, a 54-year-old man driving a 2002 BMW X5 turning right onto Indios avenue failed to yield the right of way to the woman on foot who was already in the intersection. The BMW collided with the pedestrian, causing her to suffer multiple blunt force traumas which would ultimately be fatal. The driver attempted to flee the scene without first checking on the pedestrian he hit. He was followed to a gas station by witnesses to the accident, however, and forced to return to the scene of the crash. Las Vegas Metro Police would later arrest the man for driving while impaired. The pedestrian was taken to Sunrise Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Fatal pedestrian accident rates rising nationwide
Pedestrian accidents have become increasingly common in recent years, both in Nevada and across the country. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, pedestrian fatalities grew by 46% between 2009 and 2016, despite the new crash-avoidance technologies present on many cars now available on the market. Pedestrians are most likely to suffer fatal injuries in accidents occurring between 6:00 pm and midnight, due to both low visibility and the higher rate of intoxicated drivers on the road during those hours.
While intoxication is frequently a factor in pedestrian accidents, as it was in this one, safety experts believe that distractions are increasingly to blame for serious or fatal accidents involving pedestrians. Drivers who are preoccupied by sending a text or reading an email may only glance up briefly at the road ahead. These drivers may be able to spot large objects or a stopped car ahead of them, but they may miss smaller objects such as persons on foot or bicyclists.
If you or someone you love has suffered serious injuries in a Nevada car or pedestrian accident, get help recovering the damages you’re owed by contacting the seasoned and skilled Henderson personal injury lawyers at the David Boehrer Law Firm for a free consultation at 702-750-0750.