Everyone in Wisconsin has seen a disabled vehicle on the side of the road at least one time in their lives. Whether it’s because of car troubles or because of an accident, we often times pay more attention to the vehicle itself and little attention to the people who could be walking around on the side of the road.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, roughly 50 to 65 pedestrians are fatally injured every year and roughly four percent of total injuries in the state were from people getting hit while walking on or next to a street.
These deaths aren’t just happening in Wisconsin but in other states as well. Just a few days ago, newspapers in Missouri reported the death of a 33-year-old woman who was struck by three separate vehicles after she got out of her disabled vehicle. Witnesses said she got out of her car simply to inspect her vehicle when the first vehicle clipped her. Two other vehicles subsequently ran over her body as she lay in the roadway. Though no charges were pressed against the drivers involved, it is important to point out that in Wisconsin, drivers who cause fatal accidents can not only be held accountable in a court of law but could face legal consequences as well.
But it’s not just pedestrians that police are asking to heed warnings; officers stress the importance of being an attentive driver as well. One moment of distraction could lead to catastrophic injuries and serious legal consequences for the driver. Many personal injury lawyers echo this sentiment pointing out that no one should suffer because of someone else’s negligence.
Source: The Kansas City Star, “Standing along the road after stalling or crashing is unsafe, authorities stress,” Alan Bavley, Oct. 21, 2012
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