Pedestrian Critically Injured in Santa Ana Car Accident

A man in his 50s was critically injured in a Santa Ana pedestrian accident after he was struck by two vehicles, one of which left the scene. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the major injury crash occurred at the intersection of Euclid Street and Hazard Avenue the night of December 23, 2016. The man was crossing the street at the intersection when a silver car struck him and kept going. And when he was on the ground, a Honda ran him over, police said. The driver of the Honda remained at the scene and cooperated with officials. The pedestrian suffered life-threatening injuries. The investigation is ongoing.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim of this pedestrian accident. We wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

Pedestrian Accident Statistics

There were 12 fatalities and 134 injuries reported as a result of pedestrian accidents in the city of Santa Ana, according to California Highway Patrol’s 2013 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). In Orange County as a whole, 52 people died and 784 were injured due to pedestrian accidents during the same year.

Laws Involving Pedestrians

Based on this news report, it appears that the pedestrian was crossing at a large street intersection. California Vehicle Code section 21950 states: “The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.”

The same section also states that 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 a vehicle or take any other action relating to the operating of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.” In this particular case the driver who first struck the pedestrian also left the scene of the accident, leaving the pedestrian exposed to danger in the darkness and the rain, at the time.

Justice for Victims

Victims of hit-and-run accidents struggle both financially and emotionally because they are faced with mounting medical expenses, but have no one to hold accountable for their losses. In such cases, an experienced Santa Ana car accident lawyer can advise victims about how their own auto insurance policy might apply to hit-and-run accidents. Victims may be able to seek compensation through the uninsured motorist clause of their own auto insurance policy. The best personal injury lawyers will always offer a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation to injured victims and their families.