Cement Truck Hits Woman in Brooklyn
The new decade has gotten off to a rough start for pedestrians in Brooklyn. According to News 12, a cement truck collided with a 68-year-old woman in Borough Park.
Details are sparse, but according to witnesses and video, the victim stepped out of a store near the intersection at 49th Street and New Utrecht Avenue. The woman waited at the curb for several seconds before attempting to cross the street. Unfortunately, she tried to cross in front of parked vehicles. When the light turned green, a dump truck accelerated and ran her over.
According to one witness, it was one of the most gruesome accidents he had ever seen. The truck driver, who was 48 years old, stayed at the scene of the accident. Information on possible criminal charges is pending.
Importance of Pedestrian Safety
Mayor DeBlasio has made pedestrian safety a keystone of his administration since 2014. The city’s Vision Zero plan aims to reduce traffic-related deaths to zero. It has made some common-sense improvements to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities.
For example, as described by Quartz, the city has installed rubber speed bumps and hardened center lines at certain locations to make sure that motorists do not cut corners when making a left-hand turn. The wider, slower turn not only improves the motorist’s vision but gives pedestrians enough time to take defensive action.
However, Vision Zero has proven to be much less of a success than many have hoped. For 2019, the city saw 117 pedestrian deaths and scores more badly injured. The number of fatalities represented a slight uptick from 2018, when 115 pedestrians were killed.
Walking Defensively
We do not have definitive proof of what happened during the collision in Borough Park involving the cement truck. However, it sounds from media reports that the pedestrian did not cross in the crosswalk but instead tried to thread between parked vehicles to get across the street. This is always a problem. Drivers are looking for pedestrians in the crosswalk and might be surprised to see somebody right on their bumper.
Although we never want to blame a victim, pedestrians have primary responsibility for their safety. In a crash with a cement truck or any other vehicle, a pedestrian will suffer the brunt of the injuries because they are so exposed. For this reason, pedestrians have an incentive to walk as defensively as possible. To that end, it is best never to jaywalk or to cross if only a few seconds remain before the “Don’t Walk” sign lights up.
Injured in an Accident? Call a Brooklyn Personal Injury Attorney Today
The sad fact is that pedestrians cannot count on motorists to look out for their safety. Motorists will continue to cut too closely to pedestrians and make right-hand turns directly into pedestrians. If you have been injured in a crash with a motor vehicle, please contact our law firm today.
Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman has stepped up to represent many injured pedestrians, and we look forward to helping you as well. Call 212-285-3300 or send in our contact form to schedule a free consultation.
