Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

It goes without saying that street racing has no place on public roads. Aggressive driving can and usually does result in injuries. For those who would argue the point, I suggest you buy a helmet, join a bona fide racing organization like the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), and take your car on a closed course where proper car and spectator safety are in effect.

As an automobile accident attorney and personal injury lawyer, I read all too frequently of innocent motorists and pedestrians killed or injured by one or another case of aggressive driving. It makes little difference if it’s a so-called “planned” event like an illegal street racing meet, or if it’s a spur of the moment, road-rage incident, people can and do get hurt. A high-speed crash can cause broken bones, head and neck injuries, or even death. Spectators can also be killed by a driver’s mistake, which then invites possible vehicular homicide charges.

According to news reports, concrete barriers have been added to Interstate 70 in an effort to try and cut down on the amount of street racing incidents. This latest change followed a fatal car accident last year that claimed the lives of two spectators during one of many illegal speed events.

Police reports show that a Chevy Impala driven by Donniel Raeburn, 26, of Pikesville veered out of control striking and killing Mary Kathryn Abernathy, 21, and Jonathan Henderson, 20. Raeburn was recently arrested and currently faces two charges of negligent manslaughter by auto and negligent homicide by auto. If convicted, he could spend decades in prison.

Following that fatal July 2009 accident, the state’s highway authority made changes at the end of I-70 where much of the racing had been going on. Known as a street racing hot spot, there are now new lane markers indicating a narrowing of the roadway -- the tail of the interstate is now just a single lane.

Still, police say that street racing is nearly impossible to stop. In addition to last year’s two deaths, a similar accident two years ago in Prince George's County claimed eight other lives.

Eastern Baltimore Co. Man Charged In Fatal I-70 Crash Reporting, WJZ.com, January 18, 2010

Three people were hurt and one man was killed in a tragic automobile accident in mid-January at a parking lot near the Lexington Market. Accidents of this kind can sometimes be attributed to faulty vehicle steering or brake systems. Occasionally, driver error or drunk driving can result in multiple personal injuries from being hit by a truck, SUV or passenger car.

As a Baltimore automobile accident and injury lawyer, I have seen first-hand the often severe injuries that a pedestrian can sustain as a result of being struck by a motor vehicle. When a crash of this kind occurs, with a crowd of people, many individuals can be hurt or even killed. According to a news article, a 72-year-old pedestrian died of his injuries after he and others were hit by a Ford F-150 pickup truck.

Police reports show that the woman driving the truck apparently suffered a seizure as she was driving through one of the market’s parking lots, just off North Eutaw Street. The driver subsequently lost control of the vehicle causing it to drive into a group of people. In the course of the crash, Donald L. Wheeler from Virginia sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

One man who was trapped under the truck was seriously injured and taken to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Another person, a woman who was found unconscious and not breathing, was also taken to Shock Trauma. A third pedestrian sustained a knee injury was treated at University Hospital, part of the University of Maryland Medical Center downtown.

At the time of the report, police were unable to provide names or ages of those who survived the accident. A police spokesperson said no charges had been brought against the driver, who was treated at University Hospital for a possible seizure. The driver’s female passenger was not hurt in the crash.

Truck plows into crowd, killing man, BaltimoreSun.com, January 17. 2010

Here in Baltimore, we have a range of public transportation choices that make for convenient and relatively comfortable travel throughout the city and environs. Many of the transit lines are handled by light rail and commuter rail services. While these subway and rail lines are very helpful in getting around the city, dangers do lurk on every level crossing and pedestrian crossover. As a Maryland personal injury and auto accident attorney, I understand how a simple walk across railroad tracks can end tragically.

While the railroads provide a fair degree of safety and warning equipment, sometimes that is not enough. Especially for those persons who are distracted from the very real danger of a train collision and its potential for fatal results.

Two relatively recent deaths on railroad tracks in the city point up the importance of remaining aware of one’s surroundings, as well as not taking unnecessary risks whenever near a railroad right-of-way.

According to a news article, a man was struck and killed in mid-January by a southbound Amtrak passenger train just south of the railroad's Aberdeen station. According to reports, officers responded to a call around 2:30pm regarding a body that was seen about 15 feet from the railroad's southbound track in the 600 block of S. Philadelphia Blvd. At the time of the report, police did not know the cause of the accident and were investigating the death.

This accident came just a week after a young high school girl died when she was struck by another Amtrak train near Middle River in Baltimore County. Based on reports at the time, Amtrak and MARC traffic along the Northeast Corridor was disrupted Tuesday, January 5, following the collision that killed 14-year-old Ann Marie Stickel of the 700 block of Maple Crest Drive.

Police reports indicate that the southbound train hit the girl as she and a friend were walking along the tracks with their backs to the oncoming train. The Kenwood High School student and the other girl were not authorized to be on the tracks, according to police. The youngster was later found to be wearing headphones, which prevented her from hearing the train until it was too late.

The girl’s friend, who was not wearing earphones, jumped out of the way just in time. The accident occurred about 11 miles north of Penn Station involving a Northeast Regional train traveling from New York to Washington.

Man fatally struck by Amtrak train near Aberdeen station, BaltimoreSun.com, January 16, 2010

Middle River Girl Hit, Killed By Train, BaltimoreSun.com, January 6, 2010

We’ve stated it here before: Pedestrians hardly ever do well against a motor vehicle during a traffic accident. As motorists we all have a duty to watch out for persons on foot, but as pedestrians we must also be highly vigilant and aware of oncoming traffic. Even if you cross in a legal zone, such as a crosswalk, be sure all cars are stopped and it is safe. Being “dead” right will not make your family feel better after a fatal pedestrian collision.

Recently a news article indicated that the Baltimore County Police had finally realeased the identity of the man killed in a fatal pedestrian accident on Pulaski Highway. According to reports, police stated that the Middle River man who died was 40-year-old James Rayman, of the 9600 block of Pulaski Highway.

Police believe that the victim ran across the eastbound lanes of Pulaski Highway near the Colonial Motel just east of Middle River, then climbed over a nearly 4-foot tall concrete barrier separating the east- and westbound lanes. Police said Rayman then entered the fast lane and it was there that he was hit by a late-model Ford F-350 pickup truck.

According to new reports, Rayman suffered multiple injuries as a result and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the pickup truck, whose name was not released by the police, was uninjured during the incident and reportedly remained at the scene until police arrived. The county police crash team is investigating the accident.

Police identify Middle River man killed trying to cross Pulaski Highway, BaltimoreSun.com, January 14, 2010

Pedestrian injury accidents happen more often than people may imagine. As a personal injury lawyer serving Maryland, I know how much damage a passenger car, light truck or commercial vehicle can cause to a person on foot in the roadway. As motorists it is everyone’s responsibility to be aware of persons walking on crosswalks and alongside the roadway. Near schools, it is common to find crossing guards helping children negotiate the dangerous environment of urban traffic intersections.

Here in Baltimore County, there are numerous opportunities for pedestrian injury accidents. A car-pedestrian collision rarely goes well for the person on foot, with broken bones, cuts and bruises, as well as concussions and possible traumatic brain injuries. Recently a Baltimore Co. crossing guard was very lucky in that she only received minor injuries after a vehicle nearly side-swiped her during her duties helping kids across the street.

Based on new reports, Baltimore County Police were investigating a pickup truck-pedestrian accident not far from Johnnycake Elementary School in Catonsville, MD. According to news reports, the woman was in the process of preparing to stop traffic at the intersection of Criagmont and Bardswell roads when the accident occurred.

A pickup truck drove by and clipped the woman with its sideview mirror. Police reports indicate that the mirror struck the woman in the head. After being evaluated at the scene of the accident, the crossing guard was transported to St. Agnes Hospital for treatment.

Although police described the woman’s injuries as minor, the department was considering possible charges against the unidentified truck driver.

School Crossing Guard Clipped By Side Mirror, WBAL.com, January 14, 2010

Three separate automobile accidents on a Monday morning resulted in one death and four people injured in Baltimore County recently. Maryland State Police responded to the accidents which included a fatal Pikeville side-swipe hit-and-run collision that killed a man on Interstate 695; the two other accidents, one on U.S. 40 and another in Garrison, MD, sent four people to area hospitals.

The hit-and-run crash happened shortly after 29-year-old Richardo Manchome of Pikesville pulled his Ford Pickup onto the should of the Beltway to check on an engine problem. According to police reports, the man was standing on the driver’s side of the vehicle while examining his truck’s engine when he was struck by another vehicle.

Apparently a car veered onto the shoulder where Manchome was standing, striking and throwing the man about 50 feet from his truck. When emergency crews arrived, the victim was declared dead at the scene.

Based on police reports, the car that struck and killed the Pikesville resident allegedly fled from the crash site. Witnesses reportedly described the vehicle as a black Honda or Acura. The suspect vehicle was thought to have exited the Beltway onto Route 40 east toward Baltimore. Police said the force of the impact likely caused considerable front-end damage and may have resulted in the in the car losing its right front fender. An investigation was underway.

Elsewhere, two other Baltimore County accidents sent four people to the hospital, three of them in critical condition, according to news reports. In the first accident, two men and a woman were ejected from a westbound pickup truck about 5:30am on U.S. 40. County police said all three victims landed in a lot at Martin's East near Holley Drive and were taken by ambulance to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore in critical condition.

Less than three hours later, a man driving in the 9800 block of Reisterstown Road in Garrison hit a taxi, swerved into a utility pole, and then rolling over several times. According to police, Clemmis Tommy Futrell, 44, was flown to Shock Trauma. The man is expected to recover from his injuries.

Police seek driver in fatal hit-and-run on I-695, BaltimoreSun.com, January 11, 2010

Search For Driver In Fatal Hit & Run, WBAL.com, January 11, 2010

Traffic safety is always a hot topic, but more so these days as drivers in Maryland and around the country have more and more distractions that conspire to take their attention away from the most important task at had, safely driving their vehicle in traffic. As a Baltimore auto accident attorney and injury lawyer, my firm represents drivers, passengers and pedestrians injured through the negligence of other motorists.

Car and truck crashes can result from numerous causes, from outside influences such as poorly maintained pavement or bad weather, to mechanical problems such as worn out steering components or bald tires, all the way to driver error. One subset of driver error would have to be self-imposed distractions, such as fiddling with the radio or talking on a cell phone.

It’s no secret that cell phones are more and more being singled out as potentially dangerous instruments in the hands of motorists in Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere in our area. Because it is everyone’s responsibility to watch out for dangers on the roads, drivers and pedestrians alike should consider the growing threat that all mobile devices pose to public safety.

More and more we hear news stories about people killed or injured as a result of apparent inattention when out in public. Safety may not be a concern when listening to an iPod while seated in a restaurant or movie theater, but move out to the parking lot, intersection or highway and you have a recipe for disaster, if not all-out tragedy.

Case in point, the teenager who was killed by a train while walking along railroad tracks on her way to school. According to reports, the Baltimore-area teen was walking with a friend while listening to music using earphones. Her friend, who was not using earphones, heard the train coming and was able to get out of harm's way. But the girl listening to the music was not so lucky. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

You can be certain that this situation also occurs on a daily basis with drivers on public roads. While it is against the law to wear headphones while driving, many people do. What this means is that it is too easy for these “plugged-in” drivers to ignore the sirens of emergency vehicles and other audible warning signals. Sometimes, those cars almost cause an accident as the ambulance of fire engine must steer out of the driver’s way.

Traffic accidents can and do cause death and serious, long-term injury. It is only common sense that drivers recognize the dangers of shutting off that all-important sense of hearing and make a change for the better. Drive safe and look out for yourself and your passengers. The life you save may be your own.

Safety issues arise as drivers, pedestrians plug in, tune out, Fredericksburg.com, January 10, 2010

Vehicle accidents can and do occur everyday in Maryland. Whether you live in Baltimore, Annapolis, Owings Mills or the D.C. area, being hit or injured by any vehicle can cause serious physical harm and sometimes fatal injuries. Construction machinery in particular is dangerous and U.S. Government’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has strict guidelines designed to improve the working conditions of men and women across the country.

As a Maryland automobile injury attorney, I read daily of accidents, car crashes and truck wrecks that leave passengers and pedestrians alike in physical pain that can last for year. According to a recent article, a highway construction worker was seriously injured when an excavating machine hit him, injuring his leg and sending him to the hospital.

The accident happened at the intersection of intersection of Md. 17 and Md. 180 just after 3pm on January 5. The man was apparently working in a ditch when someone or something released a safety interlock on a piece of excavating machinery. The equipment may have rolled forward or somehow landed on the man’s leg.

According to the Maryland State Police, emergency personnel arrived at the scene and rendered treatment, after which the unidentified worked was flown to the R Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. He was admitted to the facility a serious leg injury. Based on the news reports, the Maryland’s Occupational Safety and Health service is investigating the case.

Highway construction worker hurt in accident, Herald-Mail.com, January 6, 2010

The year just past was marred by hundreds of traffic accidents throughout Maryland, some of which resulted in fatalities. One of the saddest was the death of a Stephen Decatur High School sophomore who was hit by a car as he and some friends tried to cross Route 50 near Ocean City. As a Baltimore personal injury and auto accident lawyer, my office understands the terrible grief that friends, families and communities feel at the loss of any youngster.

Unfortunately, traffic accidents involving pedestrians are often fatal and almost always severe. As drivers, we all must be especially vigilant when approaching people walking along the roadside or crossing the street. Cars, pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are much more massive and quicker than a person on foot. Therefore additional caution should always be exercised whenever pedestrians are nearby.

According to news articles, the driver who hit the boy last year in May had a 0.10 percent blood-alcohol content at the time of the accident. Other than the drunken driving offense police had not issued any other charges in connection with the fatal crash. The man recently received six months in jail from a Worchester County court for his part in the accident.

According to the Maryland State Police, 16-year-old Matthew Barcase of Ocean Pines had crossed the westbound lanes and made it to the median before he was struck by a vehicle traveling east toward Ocean City. Police believe Barcase might have stumbled or tripped into the path of the oncoming vehicle. Barcase was taken to Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin where he was pronounced dead.

The driver of the vehicle that hit the young man, 29-year-old Luis Angel Rodriguez of Massapequa Park, N.Y., was indicted by a Worcester County grand jury in October on drunken driving charges.

In sentencing the man, Judge Theodore Eschenberg stated that he couldn’t treat the defendant’s arrest for drunk driving as a first offense. “Considering what the family wants, what the state wants, what the facts of the case suggest, I’m sentencing you to six months in the Worcester County Jail,” Eschenberg said. “No matter what sentence I give you, it’s not going to bring that young man back.”

Motorist Jailed 6 Months In Pedestrian Fatality, MdCoastDispatch.com, January 15, 2010

Decatur student struck, killed; driver charged with DUI, OceanCityToday.com, January 1, 2010

According to a recent news report, the Anne Arundel County Police Department has identified the person suspected of the fatal hit-and-run accident that killed an Annapolis resident in late December as he was walking on the roadside. As a Maryland automobile accident attorney, my office is ready and able to represent families who have suffered tragic loses similar to the one in this case.

According to police, the fatal pedestrian accident happened in the early morning on New Year ’s Day on Bay Ridge Road in Annapolis, MD. Sometime around 2am on Friday morning, 40-year-old Alfred Byrd was hit by an east-bound motor vehicle, killing the man as he walked along the road.

Police believe that Byrd, who was wearing dark clothing at the time of the accident, was either crossing the street or walking within the right travel lane when he was struck. By the time emergency personnel arrived at the scene, the man had already died from his injuries.

Police reportedly found the suspect vehicle, a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado, along with the driver, 21-year-old Thomas Leonard Judge of Annapolis. Judge apparently also had two passengers with him in the vehicle at the time of the incident. Jason Ruegg, 21 of Annapolis and John Deleonibus, 21, of Davidsonville were both identified by police as as passengers that morning.

According to police reports, the force of the crash was enough to cause the truck to sustain significant damage to the front grille area, the passenger-side front headlight, passenger-side bug deflector and several portions of the right side of the grille.

At the time of the report, charges had yet to be pressed against the suspected hit-and-run driver. It was not yet known if drugs, alcohol or excessive speed were contributing factors in the accident.

Suspect Found after Fatal Hit-and-Run, ABC2News.com, January 2, 2010

A flagman at a Buckeystown construction site along Maryland’s Route 85 was killed by a construction vehicle while working his shift. According to news reports, Maryland State Police arrived at the scene to find the road construction had died after being crushed by a construction truck driven by another co-worker. I and my colleagues have seen the results of this kind of fatality on more than one occasion. As a Maryland auto accident lawyer I also understand how a family can be devastated by the loss of a primary bread-winner.

In this particular instance, the accident occurred just before 3pm on a Friday afternoon. Police reports say that Carroll Michael Rehmert of Brooklyn Park, MD, was working on foot as a flagman near the intersection of Route 85 and Lime Kiln Rd when he was killed. The 57-year-old man was an employee of LAI Construction, according to news reports.

At the time of the incident, Rehmert was working as in an area where damaged lines in the road were being repaired. He had stopped traffic in the northbound lanes when the truck backed over him, pulling Rehmert under the rear axle.

Tragically, after Rehmert had been pulled beneath of the truck, the driver ran over the man a second time when he panicked after realizing what had happened. The operator of the bucket truck was identified as 37-year-old Anthony Wayner Lamburn of Alum Bank, PA. Rehmert was pronounced dead at the scene.

Both men worked for LAI Construction, a Maryland-based company located in Perry Hall, Maryland. At the time of the news report, police had not yet determined if charges would be filed in the case, and an investigation was continuing. It was also not known if the accident had been reported if officials at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had been contacted regarding this fatal incident.

Construction Worker Killed in Buckeystown, Your4State.com, November 6, 2009

Walking is certainly a healthy and invigorating pastime; however nobody expects that your next evening constitutional will be your last. Naturally, pedestrians must be vigilant when strolling along public roads, but drivers also have a responsibility not to place others in danger. As Maryland injury lawyers representing automobile accident victims and their families, our office is greatly aware of the tragic results of pedestrian traffic accidents.

Recently, a news article detailed the traffic death of an older Mechanicsville man who was killed during an evening walk along a local highway. Apparently an elderly gentleman who was know to frequently go out on foot for long walks died on November 30 after being hit by a northbound vehicle along Maryland’s Route 235.

Police reports indicate that 85-year-old James Thomas Yorkshire was treated by fire and rescue crews, who responded to the accident that had occurred just before 9pm. At the time of the news report it was unclear whether Yorkshire, who died at the scene, was walking in the northbound lanes or perhaps crossing the highway.

According to Maryland State Police, Yorkshire was struck by a 2007 Chrysler Town & Country minivan driven by 57-year-old Edwin Lewis Lipsitz of Waldorf. At the time of the collision, Yorkshire was wearing dark clothing, said a police report. Apparently that stretch of roadway is poorly lit, police said, and it was raining that evening as well.

Reportedly, there was no evidence of alcohol, other drugs or excessive speed, which could have been factors in the accident. The driver of the minivan was unhurt and it was not clear if the police were going to charge the driver with any violations.

Pedestrian, 85, killed in accident, SoMDNews.com, December 2, 2009

Another late-October traffic fatality took the life of a University of Maryland junior who was apparently the victim of a hit-and-run pedestrian accident. Having represented victims of pedestrian injury accidents, I can understand the pain and grief of such a loss, not only to the family but to the friends and schoolmates of this young woman. When it comes to car and truck accidents, the occupants in the vehicles have a much better survival rate than the persons on foot.

According to news reports, the Baltimore Police were investigating this particular hit-and-run accident, which claimed the life of Miriam Frankl just before 3:30pm on a Friday afternoon in October. Reportedly, police investigators had apparently questioned the owner of the white Ford F-250 truck that fatally injured Frankl while making an illegal left turn onto E. University Parkway from St. Paul St that day. Frankl died the following morning the University of Maryland Shock Trauma unit.

The white Ford F-250 in question was reportedly found on the following Saturday night, legally parked on the 3800 block of Edgarton Road in Northwest Baltimore. Police said that it had a decal from Tate Engineering Systems, but was apparently no longer owned by the company, having been sold to a private individual in August or September of 2008.

Police said that the owner of the truck turned himself in to police on Monday night, but was released after questioning. At the time of the report, Police had not stated whether they believe the owner was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident. If he was the driver, he could be facing serious charges not to mention a possible wrongful death law suit from the woman’s family.

Student fatally injured in hit-and-run accident, JHUNewsletter.com, October 10, 2009

A 61-year-old woman was struck and killed recently in a pedestrian-car accident on Sudbrook Lane in Pikeville. According to reports, the local resident was walking eastbound along the westbound side of the road when an SUV reportedly hit her from behind just before three o’clock in the afternoon. Based on news reports, it seems that the vehicle had to cross over into the westbound lane in order to strike the pedestrian. Police reports show that the vehicle did not stop.

As Maryland personal injury and auto accident lawyers, our firm is able to represent victims and their families in situations such as this one. Based on the time of day, it is highly unlikely that conditions led to the SUV driver killing this person. Unless some sort of steering or tire failure occurred, the situation points more to driver inattention, or worse, a case of impaired driving.

According news reports, Baltimore County Police have charged a 39-year-old Lochearn man with the hit-and-run accident that killed Jessica Robins Jones on that October 12 afternoon. Investigators stated that the victim was walking eastbound on Sudbrook Lane near Glenback Avenue. Police also said that the driver, Lonnie Becoat III, never stopped. Jones was taken to Sinai Hospital where she later died.

Reportly, Becoat turned himself in the following morning at the Pikesville Precinct after seeing coverage of the story on the news. According to police, he told investigators that the vehicle he was driving belonged to his neighbor, from whom he borrowed it on Monday to go to the store.

Police had responded to the address given and found a 2005 Chevy Equinox with damage to the windshield and front driver’s side bumper and fender. Becoat allegedly told officers that he never saw Jones, and remembered something hitting the windshield. Police reports state that following the crash, Becoat returned the vehicle to his neighbor and told him that a tree branch had fallen and broken the windshield.

Police have charged the man with driving with a suspended license, failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing injury, and failing to render aid after being involved in an accident. At the time of the report, Becoat was being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center, in Towson, on $750,000 bond.

Lochearn man arrested in fatal hit-and-run, ExploreBaltimoreCounty.com, October 14, 2009

It took two years but finally justice has been served on a driver who hit and killed a Glen Burnie truck driver who was standing outside his vehicle on Interstate 79 in October 2007. Heidi Wise pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide while driving under the influence of prescription medication. As a Maryland personal injury and auto accident lawyer, my firm is able to represent victims and their families in situations very similar to this one.

According to news reports, the accident occurred as Wise was passing the disabled tractor trailer driven by Charles H. Payton Sr. The 50-year-old truck driver had just pulled his big rig off onto the eastbound ramp of Interstate 79 at the junction of I-79 and I-80 in Findley Township, PA. According to police, the local woman struck and killed Payton with her pickup truck after the man had gotten out of his truck, likely to check on its condition.

Although police initially determined that the woman was not drunk from alcohol consumption, later laboratory results showed she had five times the appropriate dosage of the anxiety medication Xanax, according to news reports. Courts records indicate that on the day of the accident the woman had picked up a prescription for the medication totaling 60 pills, however, when police conducted their investigation the bottle contained only 46 pills -- authorities maintain that there should have been least 58 or 59 pills.

Wise will be sentenced November 20 for Payton’s death. No reference was made to any pending civil suit as a result of the criminal court’s finding.

Driver guilty in trucker's death, HomeTownGlenBurnie.com, October 10, 2009

Pedestrian-auto accidents occur more often than one would imagine. When they do the results can be catastrophic -- injuries from simple scrapes and bruises to fractures, head and spine injuries. Very serious injuries. Our firm, Lebowitz-Mhzen, LLC represents all manner of clients, including the families of victims killed as a result of automobile accidents. As experienced car accident attorneys, we know the proper way to approach personal injury lawsuits to the best advantage of our clients. A pedestrian accident in downtown Baltimore last month is a painful reminder of how the simple act of crossing a street on foot can take a terrible turn for the worse.

According to police, a woman was struck by a Dodge Neon driven by a 71-year-old woman in the 3100 block of North Calvert Street near the Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus. The accident occurred around 9 p.m. on a Friday evening. Emergency personnel were soon dispatched to the scene and the victim was rapidly transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital, however she was pronounced dead around 11 p.m. that same evening. The driver of the car stayed at the scene, according to news reports.

A preliminary investigation by Baltimore City police indicates that the victim may have been crossing the street against the traffic light. To complicate matters, police added that the weather also may have contributed to the incident, in that visibility for the driver may have been reduced to some extent.

To say the least, the death of any individual is a tragic and regrettable event. Furthermore, a preventable traffic fatality is even more painful for the families of victims such as this woman. Although no charges had been filed against the driver at the time of the news reports, the victim's family should have at least consulted with a qualified legal professional to understand their rights. Especially if the victim was the sole breadwinner for the family, it may be essential to the well-being of her immediate relatives.

Woman Struck, Killed Near JHU Homewood Campus, WBALTV.com, August 22, 2009

As a Maryland automobile accident lawyer and motorist myself, I see examples daily of people exposing themselves to unnecessary personal injury -- and sometimes death -- from traffic-related accidents. The summer especially is a time of increased car-pedestrian accidents. In fact, just the other day while driving down a well-traveled four-lane street, I noted a homeowner pulling weeds from around a light pole just inches away from the curb. With her back to oncoming traffic, this person was apparently unaware of or unconcerned with the cars and trucks passing barely three feet away at 35 miles per hour, sometimes faster.

This incident reminded me of a recent news story about a man, a Good Samaritan of sorts, who was critically injured while observing another unrelated vehicle collision. Having represented people injured by a motor vehicle while on foot, I see this kind of scenario many times over in the courtroom. According to reports, a 44-year-old Clinton, MD, man was hit by a car earlier this summer on Route 32 near I-95 in Howard County.

Police reports showed that Franklin Trowell Jr. was on the eastbound shoulder of the road checking a vehicle accident that had just occurred at around four o’clock in the morning. Perhaps the victim should have exercised more caution, due to the darkness at that hour, however he apparently was more concerned about the other people involved in the earlier accident.

Suddenly without warning, Trowell was struck by a 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier driven by a Laurel man. According to police, 55-year-old Leonard Supsic lost control of the Cavalier, which left the roadway and hit Trowell.

When police and emergency personnel arrived they treated the man and transported him to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he was listed in critical condition. The human body is no match against a 2,500-pound vehicle and these kinds of car-pedestrian accidents can result in personal injuries ranging from minor cuts and bruises to much more serious bone fractures, damaged internal organs, internal bleeding, as well as traumatic spinal and brain injuries.

To casually ignore the potential for injury or death at the hands of another motorist is hardly a responsible way to go about one’s everyday life. While feeling justified that others must watch out for you, being in the right might feel good initially, but once a traffic accident has occurred, being “dead right” is not the way most people would prefer to be remembered by their friends and family.

Clinton man in critical condition after being hit by car, BaltimoreSun.com, May 29, 2009

There is a time and place for everything, but public roads should never be used for illicit racing events. News articles indicate that a recent early-morning drag race that resulted in two pedestrian deaths occurred on a portion of Maryland’s I-70 interstate well known locally for similar illegal speed events. According to authorities, early on the morning of June 21 two young people were killed when one of the drivers lost control of his vehicle and struck several cars and spectators on the side of the roadway.

As an automobile accident attorney, my office is able to represent victims and their families who have experienced a loss such as this, where a pedestrian is injured by a car, SUV or truck. Sadly, this type of accident could have been avoided, especially if the spectators realized the dangers involved. That Sunday morning in Baltimore County, 21-year-old Mary-Kathryn Michele Abernathy of Columbia, MD, and 20-year-old Jonathan Robert Henderson of La Plata in Charles County were killed when a westbound 2009 Chevrolet Impala went out of control. The accident investigation is ongoing and no determination has been made on whether the cause was driver error or defective equipment.

According to police, the accident set off a chain-reaction crash that also caused severe injury to the driver of the Impala, 26-year-old Donneil Raeburn of Pikesville, and Paul Alan Duffy, 22, of Elkridge. The Impala struck a 2004 Cavalier owned by Duffy, who was standing outside his vehicle, which in turn was pushed into the rear of a 1995 Acura Integra owned by Henderson, who had been standing with Abernathy. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Rescue personnel treated Raeburn and Duffy, then sent them to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in critical condition. Raeburn was still in critical condition several days later, while Duffy was treated and released later that day.

This stretch of I-70 is a dead end -- undeveloped since the 1980s -- which makes it a popular site for young drivers. Local residents are very familiar with the frequent late-night speed events that take place more or less in their backyards. Maryland State Police and the State Highway Administration have been in discussions regarding ways to discourage these activities. Ideas include rumble strips or cameras to monitor activity on that part of the road. The sooner this is addressed the better it will be for everyone, except of those two young adults who senselessly lost their lives that Sunday morning.

Drag racing frequent event at site of deaths on I-70, BaltimoreSun.com, June 24, 2009

A 29-year-old Maryland man has been charged by the Fredrick County Sheriff’s Office in the April traffic death of a college senior who was struck and killed while jogging on Old Emmitsburg Road. The man was allegedly operating an uninsured vehicle belonging to his parents.

According to police reports, Elizabeth DiNunzio, a 22-year-old senior at Mount St. Mary's University, was jogging on the afternoon of April 28 when she was struck by a pickup truck driven by Joshua Wayne Cool of Emmitsburg.

There is no paved shoulder on the straight section of the road where DiNunzio was hit by Cool’s 1995 Nissan pickup, but police say that she was traveling south against the flow of traffic in accordance with Maryland law. An investigation revealed that the woman was not listening to a portable music player when the fatal accident occurred. Police also ruled out speeding or drunk driving as factors.

Cool was recently served a summons related to the accident. He has been charged with negligent driving, failing to avoid a collision with a pedestrian, and knowingly operating an uninsured vehicle. The man’s parents, Joseph R. and Ann V. Cool, both in their 50s, were also served with citations because they owned the vehicle and allowed their son to drive it uninsured.

The negligent driving charge carries a $280 fine and three points, while the failure to avoid a collision carries a $110 fine and three additional points. The uninsured vehicle charges are citations that compel the Cools to appear in court, according to Fredrick police. They face a possible $1,000 fine, up to 12 months in jail or both.

As a Maryland Automobile Accident Lawyer, I am able to represent victims and their families in situations such as this one -- I can truly say that cases of wrongful death are sad events. This young woman, who was to participate in the upcoming Pittsburgh Marathon, was also just weeks away from graduating magna cum laude from Mount St. Mary's with a degree in Spanish. Apparently, she was doing everything right.

Conversely, the driver, as well as his parents, was certainly in the wrong. The young man had a responsibility to watch out for pedestrians and failed. The parents, as owners of the vehicle, had a responsibility to make sure that the truck was insured, and they failed at that as well. It is a tragedy in every sense of the word.

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Nearly 100 pedestrians in Maryland are killed each year, but could this figure increase in the future? The most current statistics, from 2007, indicate that 110 pedestrian deaths occurred in the state, with 70 of those traffic fatalities occurring on state highways. With a struggling economy and people from all economic backgrounds looking for ways to save money, it’s important to consider that more and more people may be walking to work, school or the store than in years past.

This point was brought home by a recent editorial column in the Baltimore Sun. The writer described his experience of trying to negotiate a local roadway as a pedestrian while his vehicle was in the shop for repairs.

His main observation? Highway engineers gave little thought to the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists in the past. Almost everywhere in Maryland, the columnist explains, there are roads and highways where pedestrians are forced -- by design -- to walk in vehicle lanes. Maryland’s Route 2 and U.S. 40 were mentioned as two of the most deadly for pedestrians.

In a state of more than five million residents, 100 may not seem like a large number, but nobody should be subject to injury or death just for trying to get somewhere on foot. And these statistics are most likely slanted toward the poor or under-employed -- folks who not only cannot afford to own a car, but who don’t even have the money for public transportation.

As a Maryland Car Accident Attorney, I have the ability to represent victims and their families in cases of auto-pedestrian accidents, including situations involving a fatality. Almost every one of these people were minding there own business, just going about their life and hoping that each passing motorist wasn’t distracted by a passenger or cell phone, intoxicated or driving under the influence of drugs, illegal or prescription.

Things have slowly improved. According to Maryland’s highway administration, pedestrian and bicyclist safety has been a top priority since the late 1990s. Before that, the administration was apparently forbidden by law to "squander" state funds on so-called luxuries, such as sidewalks. But the law was changed and many of the state’s highways have been retrofitted with sidewalks -- currently 33 percent, with another two percent typically added each year.

Continue reading "Auto Accident News: About 100 Maryland Pedestrians Killed Every Year" »