Two cross-country runners sustained serious injuries Wednesday afternoon when they were a struck by a vehicle in a Petaluma crosswalk, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported. The incident occurred at about 4:15 p.m. on Sonoma Mountain Parkway at Monroe Street.
According to news reports, a group of runners was jogging along Sonoma Mountain Parkway when one of the runners activated the pedestrian crossing lights at the intersection. Two vehicles travelling south on Monroe Street stopped, but a 16-year-old girl driving a blue Ford pickup failed to stop, and struck two runners at about 40 mph. The two-teens that were struck, a 15-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl, tried to jump out of the way, but were hit by the sides of the vehicle. The boy was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, and the girl was taken to Petaluma Valley Hospital. Both students reportedly were alert and conscious when emergency crews arrived.
Cause of the Pedestrian Accident
Police are still investigating the cause of the accident. However, if news reports are accurate, this crash was likely caused by the teen driver who failed to stop at the crosswalk. Under California Vehicle Code Section 21950 "Right of Way at Crosswalks" (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." This section of the vehicle code gives pedestrians using a crosswalk the right-of-way.
Pedestrian Injury Liability
In situations such as this September 8th Petaluma pedestrian accident, where another driver is suspected of causing an accident, the family members of the injured victims would be well-advised to talk to a California pedestrian injury lawyer about the accident and the potentially unique legal issues involved. If the driver was at fault, she may be liable for the injuries sustained by the two teen runners, including their medical expenses, any lost earnings, pain and suffering, and other related damages. An attorney who has represented numerous victims of pedestrians struck in crosswalks can help the injured victims and their families protect their rights to ensure they receive the maximum compensation they may be entitled to receive following this accident.
Sources: Santa Rosa Press Democrat, KSRO News, Contra Costa Times, California Vehicle Code Section 21950 Right of Way at Crosswalks
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