Man Killed While Crossing Street in Wheelchair

When driving, it’s important to always be scanning the road and looking for hazards. Motorists especially need to be mindful of pedestrians. They tend to have the right of way but are often overlooked by drivers in a hurry.

Sadly, a man in a wheelchair was recently killed in a crash in Manatee County. The 64-year-old man was crossing an intersection in a wheelchair when he was hit by a pickup truck. The fatal crash occurred on the evening of June 21 at U.S. 41 and Pearl Avenue.

The man, from Pinellas Park, was at the northeast corner of the intersection. He began using the crosswalk to cross Pearl Avenue. At the same time, a Ford F-250 was traveling east on Pearl Avenue. It stopped at a red light, but the driver started making a right turn onto U.S. 41 at the same time as the man was crossing. This caused them both to collide.

The truck’s front left tire knocked the man out of the wheelchair, with the driver then running him over. The man in the wheelchair was killed in the crash.

The driver of the pickup truck, a 29-year-old Palmetto man, stopped and remained at the accident scene. He and his passenger, a 26-year-old Bradenton woman, were not injured in the crash. The Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating the cause of the accident.

Crossing Streets While in a Wheelchair 

Crossing a street while in a wheelchair is a situation that can make a pedestrian at risk for serious accidents. There are some infrastructural designs that can make it easier for a person to safely cross a street. They include:

• Curb ramps. If a pedestrian becomes trapped in an intersection crosswalk, serious accidents can occur. Similarly, if the slope of the curb ramp is not level at the top, the wheelchair pedestrian can inadvertently roll into heavy traffic. Fortunately, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) outlines numerous requirements that city planners and engineers must follow specifically regarding curb ramps. ADA requires curb ramps when a pedestrian walkway intersects the street. Some design elements include ramp slopes and sufficient landings.
• Traffic controls and crosswalks. City planners should install curb cuts, zebra crossings, high-visibility paint, signals, and divider fencing to guide safe crossing. Where none existed, the risk of fatality was significantly higher.
• Audible pedestrian signals. These refer to voice or beep signals to guide visually impaired and wheelchair users. Audible pedestrian signals with locator tones are proven to reduce pedestrian-vehicle crashes.
• Tactile paving. Detectable warning surfaces (truncated domes) at curb ramps, crosswalks, transit platforms, help wheelchair users and vision-impaired detect edges.

Contact Us Today

It’s hard enough to get from place to place in a wheelchair. Crossing a road while in one leaves a person vulnerable to serious accidents, many which lead to catastrophic injuries or death.

At Cahall Law Firm, we know that car crashes can happen in the blink of an eye. While they happen quickly, the damages they cause can last decades or even a lifetime. See how a Bradenton car accident lawyer from Cahall Law Firm can assist you with the aftermath of your crash. Schedule a consultation today by filling out the online form or calling (941) 281-2019.

Source:

bradenton.com/news/local/article309166480.html