Pedestrian Hit by Car in Leesburg, VA Intersection
Two weeks ago, a car struck a 12-year-old girl crossing North King Street in Leesburg. Area residents are urging the Town Council to make some changes to the intersection in the interest of pedestrian safety. The young girl was riding her bike at the crosswalk near the Saint John's Catholic Church and Ida Lee Park when she was hit by a car. However, the girl escaped the accident without any serious injuries. Some residents familiar with the intersection have noted that drivers ignore pedestrians as they cross, and they knew something like was going to happen. Some are urging the police to have more of a presence near the intersection, especially during the evening rush hours. Even though pedestrians have the right of way when crossing, they cannot assume drivers will see them and stop. The law in Virginia gives pedestrians the right of way as long as they are engaged in the crosswalk. However, drivers will see open road and continue driving because they do not want to stop for anything. In this case, the driver was not cited because the young girl crossed the street when it was not safe to and did not have the right of way. The Leesburg police officer investigating the case said, "once a person assesses a safe time to cross, that pedestrian doesn't have the right of way until actually engaged in the crosswalk." The Town Council has been hearing many complaints about this intersection, and it is likely that an increased police presence will occur in the future.
A driver's duty of care increases when it comes to children due to their unpredictable behavior and size making them difficult to see. Drivers must be especially cautious when driving in areas frequented by children, such as schools, parks, and neighborhoods. The experienced Leesburg, Virginia car accident attorneys at Portner & Shure can look at the facts of each case and determine if the pedestrian was acting reasonably and whether the driver was negligent in any way.
If you or a family member has been injured by a driver while walking or riding a bicycle through a crosswalk, contact Portner & Shure for a free legal consultation or if you would like more information on drivers hitting pedestrians at (410) 995-1515 or visit us on our website.
