Pedestrian Collisions claim the Lives of Two London Residents

On September 26 at around 2 a.m., a 32-year-old London man was struck by an SUV and sustained fatal injuries.  The accident occurred on York Street in London’s downtown core.   The SUV driver and passenger remained at the scene and police continue to investigate the cause of the crash.

Although most Canadians acknowledge that driving presents a certain risk of collision and injury, albeit quite low on a daily basis, we tend to believe that walking is a safe activity. But unfortunately this is often not the case, and pedestrian-motorist accidents frequently result when someone fails to take due care to monitor for other road users.

The loss of two pedestrians within such a short time is a tragic and significant occurrence for the City of London, particularly when considering the fairly low number of pedestrian deaths in Ontario annually.  A study of pedestrian deaths by the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario investigated the deaths of 95 Ontarians who died in 2010 after being struck by a motor vehicle, and the authors of the report conclude that these pedestrian deaths are largely preventable. Most of these pedestrian deaths (75%) occurred in urban centres such as London and Toronto, and most occurred while a pedestrian was crossing the street at an intersection.  Also, a majority of pedestrian deaths (60%) happened at night, dusk or dawn.  An earlier City of Toronto study of pedestrian accidents found that 11% of accidents occurred in parking lots.

Pedestrian injuries or deaths are not always the result of driver error or recklessness.  Sometimes, the pedestrian does not monitor for traffic before crossing a street, which is particularly dangerous when not crossing at an intersection or crosswalk. Also, alcohol is sometimes a factor in pedestrian fatalities.

On the other hand, pedestrian-motorist fatalities often result when a driver fails to obey traffic regulations, such as failing to yield to a pedestrian at an intersection, speeding, distracted driving or driving while impaired.  And when such actions result in a pedestrian-motorist collision, the outcome is often very serious or even fatal for the pedestrian who is the most vulnerable of road users.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has documented a number of road safety tips for keeping Ontarians safe (www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/pedestrian-safety.shtml).

Some of the most important tips for pedestrians are:

• Cross the street only at crosswalks or traffic lights
• Ensure that a driver sees you before crossing.
• When walking at night or dusk, wear bright clothing and/or reflective strips.
• Even at a traffic light or crosswalk, cross only when traffic has fully stopped
• Take particular care for cars turning at intersections and exiting driveways.

Key tips for drivers are:

• Always monitor for pedestrians, particularly when turning.
• Drive carefully and don’t speed in school zones and residential areas
• Monitor for pedestrians crossing near bus or streetcar stops.
• Always stop for school busses and watch for children crossing.

When someone is seriously or fatally injured in a car accident, whether as a pedestrian or another road user, the lives of all family members are impacted, physically, emotionally and often, financially.  One can never truly compensate anyone when they are seriously injured, suffer a disability, or lose a loved one.  However, accident victims and their families can receive and are owed financial compensation to help with recovery and/or financial loss resulting from an accident.  If you or a loved one experienced injury resulting from a negligent or reckless party and are considering making a claim, call the knowledgeable London personal injury lawyers to find out how we can help.  Our compassionate and experienced legal team welcome your questions and can provide an honest assessment on the strength of your case.