The Santa Maria Times has reported that a 81-year-old Santa Maria man died Saturday morning, after he was struck by a car at the intersection of Carlotti Drive and Paden Street. According to news reports, the pedestrian, Stefan Francis Suszko was attempting to cross Carlotti Drive from west to east shortly after 7 a.m., when he was hit by a 2003 Volkswagen Passat driven southbound on Carlotti by Robert Allen Utzinger, 38, also of Santa Maria. Utzinger was not injured. Suszko suffered a broken leg and major head trauma. He died as a result of his injuries a few hours after the accident at Marian Medical Center.
Cause of the Fatal Pedestrian Accident
The cause of the fatal accident remains under investigation by the Santa Maria Police Department. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Santa Maria Police at (805)928-3781. Based on the limited information provided in news reports, it is not clear why this pedestrian accident occurred and whether the driver of the Passat could have done anything to prevent the collision.
Pedestrian Accidents and Wrongful Death Liability
Elderly adults are unfortunately common victims of fatal pedestrian accidents. Accidents frequently occur in intersections, where drivers often fail to yield to the right-of-way of crossing pedestrians, whether or not the crosswalk is marked. Drivers of vehicles often look for cars, but not pedestrians. In situations such as this September 18th Santa Barbara County pedestrian accident, the family members of the victims would be well-advised to contact a California pedestrian accident lawyer about the families rights in a wrongful death claim. If the driver is responsible for this accident, he may be liable for the wrongful death of the victim, including funeral and burial expenses and loss of love, care, and companionship.
Sources: Santa Maria Times, KCOY News, KSBY News
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