Nevada authorities responded to a recent pedestrian accident in Sparks that resulted in a fatality. The deadly collision was reported around 9 pm and occurred at the intersection of Pyramid Way and Dolores Drive. Nevada law enforcement officials noted that an unidentified pedestrian was walking across the intersection of Pyramid and Dolores when the person was struck by a car. When emergency first responders were dispatched and arrived at the scene, the victim was pronounced dead on site. The events that led to the deadly crash are still under investigation and neither the identity of the victim nor additional details were reported.
Pedestrian Accidents
Studies show that Nevada has the fifth highest rate of reported pedestrian accident-related fatalities, according to statistics compiled by Las Vegas Review-Journal. Across the nation, a pedestrian is hit and killed by a vehicle every 88 minutes, on average. Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents are recurrent in the United States. In fact, pedestrian accidents have increased by as much as 20% when compared to the same time period in 2019. KTNV Las Vegas reports that, according to Nevada Highway Patrol, in Clark County the numbers compared from 2019 to 2020 include::
- Car accident-related fatalities increased by 3.85%;
- Pedestrian accident-related deaths increased by 22.2%;
- Motorcycle accident-related deaths decreased by 20%.
Just in the first month of 2020, 24 people were killed in car accidents on Nevada’s roads.
Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents
All motorists are required to exercise reasonable care in addition to obeying traffic laws. This is particularly true when it comes to keeping an eye out for pedestrians. The most common ways a driver could be involved in a pedestrian accident include:
- Speeding: Not only does speeding violate traffic laws, but it can be considered reckless driving, depending on the circumstances. A pedestrian who is hit by a speeding vehicle could be significantly injured or even killed in the crash;
- Driving while intoxicated: No matter what the cause of intoxication — alcohol or drugs — a driver who is under the influence will have a slower reaction time, driving skills, and reasoning resulting in a higher likelihood of hitting a pedestrian;
- Distracted driving: There are many ways in which a driver can be distracted while behind the wheel such as texting, eating, drinking, talking on a cell phone, or other tasks that pull attention from the road. A few split seconds with a driver’s eyes off the road can result in a deadly pedestrian crash;
- Bad weather: Failure to slow down to a safe speed in severe conditions such as rain, fog, ice, or snow can easily result in the inability to stop on a slippery roadway and avoid hitting a pedestrian;
Personal Injury Attorneys
Unfortunately, there are many ways in which a pedestrian accident can happen. All of us need to be aware of our surroundings, not just those who are negligent. intoxicated, or distracted behind the wheel. The skilled Las Vegas personal injury lawyers at H&P Law have years of experience protecting the rights of the injured across Nevada. Contact us today for your initial case evaluation with one of our lawyers.
