Pedestrians around Santa Maria must often travel parts of the city with too few crosswalks provided to keep them safe. An intersection with a proper walk/don’t walk signal can be blocks away, while other major intersections have no traffic lights and no crosswalks at all.
These missing crosswalks can lead to even more danger at night when drivers are prone to pay even less attention to anything in front of them. These lapses in attention can send a car traveling hundreds of feet before the drivers look up to see they’ve missed spotting a pedestrian simply trying to cross the street.
Pedestrian Struck and Killed Over the Weekend in Santa Maria
A person traveling on foot was tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident in Santa Maria late Saturday night. KEYT-TV reported the collision occurred along the 500 block of North Broadway on July 10, 2021.
Santa Maria Police Officers were dispatched to the scene at around 11:20 p.m. after the report of a person hit by a car. They found one victim who was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim’s identity has not been released.
The driver and vehicle alleged to be involved were not located at the scene. The Santa Maria Police Department is asking anyone who has information about the accident to call them.
Securing Help for Families After a Tragic Santa Maria Pedestrian Accident
Pedestrians travel sidewalks and crosswalks with no protection from a collision with a motorized vehicle. This elevated danger to anyone on foot is the basis of a driver’s expected “duty of care” required as they drive. It means they must show extreme caution at all times in case a defenseless pedestrian could be nearby.
This care must be shown no matter where pedestrians are encountered. If drivers fail in this duty they can be held accountable for every hardship victims and their families face. A family that’s lost a loved one is permitted to file a wrongful death claim against an at-fault driver’s insurance company.
This wrongful death claim enables families to secure support to cover funeral and burial costs, ambulance fees, and the loss of financial support the deceased may have provided each week.
If a hit-and-run driver suspect is never identified, families may be able to call upon their own insurance for assistance. The victim may have maintained a car insurance policy or may have been covered by a family member’s policy. A wrongful death claim could be filed under the policy’s uninsured motorist coverage.
Contact a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Serving Santa Maria
Families can be left with a lot of questions while grieving the loss of a loved one. They may wonder how to seek justice when the driver responsible sped away from the scene to avoid all responsibility.
Martin Gasparian is a Santa Maria Pedestrian Accident Lawyer who works to protect families after a tragedy. Mr. Gasparian uses his extensive background in California personal injury law to make sure victims and families have what they need in the wake of a terrible accident. Contact Maison Law for a free case evaluation for you and your family.
