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Camp Lejeune LawsuitsPedestrian Accident | Orlando Accident & Injury Blog - Part 19
Study Finds Wide Streets and Speeding Drivers Make Orlando Dangerous for Pedestrians
We have talked many times in this blog about the Orlando area in particular and Florida in general being the most dangerous places in the country for pedestrian accidents. This troubling and unfortunate distinction is well known and has been documented many times by federal and private agencies over the last several years.
Orlando Named Country’s Most Dangerous City for Pedestrians
A recent survey confirmed a sad fact that Orlando personal injury lawyers and area residents have known for a long time; Orlando is the country’s most dangerous city for pedestrians. From 2000 to 2009, 557 people were struck and killed in pedestrian accidents in the Orlando/Kissimmee metro area, a frightening number that Central Floridians are reminded of far too often. The survey was conducted by Transportation for America, and the group cited the causes of our city’s ignominious ranking as high vehicular traffic, unsafe existing sidewalks and a lack of sidewalks in the city’s infrastructure. Most of our area was designed specifically to accommodate motorized vehicles, not pedestrians, an important factor that needs to be addressed in the short term to make our area safer for pedestrians.
Woman Struck and Killed in Pedestrian Accident
A woman was struck and fatally injured on the morning of Friday, May 13 while crossing Orange Blossom Trail in south Orange County. Florida Highway Patrol officers are still investigating the accident, but they say that the 41-year-old victim was walking along Orange Blossom Trail around 5:14 a.m. when she stepped in front of a 2011 Ford F-250 that was heading southbound on Orange Blossom Trail near La Quinta Drive. Police say the truck was driven by a 38-year-old Orlando man, and charges are pending against the man during investigation. The woman died at the scene from her injuries.
Orlando Planning Miles of Sidewalks to Prevent Pedestrian Accidents
Orlando officials are planning an additional 18 miles of sidewalks for city streets in an ambitious project scheduled to get underway this year. The additional miles of sidewalk are more than four times what they originally planned, and city officials are going to add even more miles of sidewalks after this part of the plan is complete. Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham fully supports this and any other plans to reduce pedestrian accidents and make Orlando a safer place for people who walk, bike and jog on area roadways. He has been a strong advocate for making area streets and highways safer for everyone and supports any measure that prevents accidents.
Man Struck and Critically Injured in Orlando Pedestrian Accident
Recently, a car struck and critically injured a 28-year-old Pennsylvania man while he was crossing Universal Boulevard in Orlando. Accident investigators say the man was just a few hundred feet from the entrance to Universal Orlando when he attempted to cross from west to east across the boulevard. The accident occurred near the intersection with Major Boulevard around 2:10 a.m. A Chrysler sedan driven by a 25-year-old area woman struck and critically injured the victim. Orlando Police spokeswoman Sergeant Barb Jones said the victim was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center where he is being treated for his injuries.
Child Struck and Killed in Pedestrian Accident
A six-year-old Palatka boy was struck by a car and killed on March 11 while attempting to cross a street near his home. Accident investigators with the Florida Highway Patrol say that the child was trying to cross the street at the intersection of St. Johns and Wells Avenues when he was struck and killed by a 2002 Toyota driven by a 36-year-old Palatka woman. Police say the child died at the accident scene. It is unknown whether or not the driver of the car is facing criminal charges. More pedestrian accidents occur in Florida than any other state. These accidents take a terrible toll on victims and their families, and many seek the counsel of an Orlando personal injury attorney such as James O. Cunningham.
Orlando Personal Injury Lawyer Supports Red-Light Camera Law
In 2010, Florida lawmakers passed a controversial law that allows cameras posted on many traffic signals to photograph drivers who run red lights. Pedestrian safety advocates had pressured legislators for nearly eight years to pass the law and make Florida intersections safer for everyone. However, one South Florida State Senator, Republican Rene Garcia, has introduced a bill that would repeal the law. His bill proposes removal of all cameras posted on traffic signals on state roads by July 2011 and would make at least 50 local governments vulnerable to litigation from attorneys representing drivers who ran red lights and received tickets.
Man Killed in Orlando Pedestrian Accident
A 67-year-old Orlando man struck by a sports utility vehicle while crossing West Colonial Drive recently died from his injuries two days after the pedestrian accident. Orlando police officers said a 2003 Ford Excursion driven by a 39-year-old Orlando woman struck the man as he crossed the eastbound lanes of Colonial Drive. The victim was rushed to a local hospital for treatment with severe head and internal injuries. Officials said this is the second fatal Orlando pedestrian accident so far in 2011.
Lawmakers Eye Legislation Targeting Distracted Pedestrians
Most of us are very familiar with the dangers of distracted drivers who talk on their phones, text, apply makeup, eat and engage in other risky behavior while behind the wheel. However, New York lawmakers are considering legislation that addresses the risks that joggers and pedestrians take when wearing headphones and devoting their attention to iPods, cell phones and other personal electronic devices. The proposed legislation would ban the use of portable electronic devices while walkers and joggers cross streets and highways so that pedestrians devote their full attention to making sure they cross the street safely.
Nephew of Dalai Lama Killed in Florida Pedestrian Accident
The nephew of Buddhism’s most revered leader was killed recently when he was walking along a roadway. He was trying to raise awareness about Tibetans trying to regain their independence from China. The 45-year-old nephew of the Dalai Lama was walking along State Road A1A around 7:30 p.m. on February 14 when a sports utility vehicle struck and killed him. Florida Highway Patrol officers say a 31-year-old Palm Coast man drove the SUV, but he has not been charged in connection with the fatal pedestrian accident. This stretch of S.R. A1A is especially notorious as a bicyclist was struck and killed nearby in September 2010.
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.