A 58-year old Seattle man was killed in a pedestrian accident after he was struck by a pickup truck while attempting to the cross Benson Highway in an unincorporated area of Kent. According to a news report, the man was not in a crosswalk when he tried to cross the five-lane highway. Washington State Patrol officials said the driver of the 2000 Toyota pickup truck could not stop in time to avoid colliding with the man.
This is apparently the second pedestrian-car collision in the last seven weeks along the Benson Highway. A 22-year-old woman was killed in October when she tried to cross the highway to catch a bus. That pedestrian was not in a crosswalk either. Officials say it is not illegal to cross the highway, but pedestrians must yield right-of-way to vehicles when they are not in a crosswalk. Officials say that pedestrians should use a crosswalk when crossing any street, especially at night time when visibility is greatly reduced.
The question here is whether there is a dangerous condition on this highway that needs to be remedied. Has the agency in charge of maintaining that roadway conducted any studies to determine whether certain features such as traffic lights or crosswalks can help enhance pedestrian safety here? Is there a need for additional crosswalks on the roadway? Is there a dangerous condition on Benson Highway right now? If it is a dangerous roadway and the agency responsible for maintaining it has ignored the problem, then that agency could be held liable for accidents and resulting injuries there.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident or auto accident caused by a dangerous or defective roadway, the experienced Seattle personal injury attorneys at The Bernard Law Group can help. Please call us at 1-800-418-8282 or e-mail us at info@bernardlawgroup.com. We can also send you our FREE informational brochure about Washington vehicular accident cases, which has useful educational information that will help you understand your legal rights and options. Get in touch with Kirk Bernard and his knowledgeable legal team today.
Source: http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ken/news/79580562.html