Los Angeles Car Accident Kills 13-year-old Pedestrian
Julia Siegler, a 13-year-old Brentwood girl, died in a Los Angeles car accident after she was hit by at least two vehicles while attempting to cross Sunset Boulevard, on the way to catching her school bus. Los Angeles police officials said that the fatal pedestrian accident occurred the morning of February 26, 2010. Officials say preliminary reports show that Julia was crossing the street on a red light and was grazed by the side-view mirror of one car, which knocked her off balance. A second vehicle then ran her over. Both drivers stopped at the scene. Julia was transported to a local hospital where she died from her injuries.
What a horrible loss for young Julia Siegler's family! My heart goes out to her parents, friends and the children on the school bus who witnessed this terrible accident. I offer my deepest condolences to Julia's family and friends. They will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Pedestrian Accident Deaths and Injuries
There were 104 deaths and 2,716 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in the city of Los Angeles in 2008, according to California Highway Patrol's traffic accident statistics. Countywide, pedestrian accidents claimed 214 lives and injured 4,985 people in 2008.
How Did this Fatal Accident Occur?
Based on this news report, the girl was in a hurry to get to the school bus and crossed the street when the light was red. This is of course against the law. Pedestrians have the responsibility to cross the road safely and yield right-of-way to oncoming vehicles. However, the news report states that the scene of the crash was chaotic, as can be imagined. I trust officials are still interviewing witnesses and trying to determine exactly what happened and how it happened. If further investigation determines that one of the motorists was at fault for Julia's fatal injuries, then he or she can be held liable.
The Element of Negligence
If I were Julia's parent or the parent of any child attending that school or catching that school bus, I would look into how safe it is for those children everyday to take that bus. Does it stop at a dangerous location where children have to risk their lives daily to catch it? We don't know. But that's something that might be well worth looking into. In such cases, it might be in victims' best interests to seek the counsel of an experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer who will make sure that all aspects of the incident are analyzed and the negligent parties, if any, are held accountable.
We are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to "not a fault" persons named in this article and their family members.
