Articles Posted in Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian crashes are among the deadliest incidents on Maryland roads, and they raise difficult legal questions when they occur on highways. While many drivers expect to see pedestrians in neighborhoods or crosswalks, people on foot are struck on interstates far more often than the public realizes. These cases are legally sensitive, especially when the events leading up to the collision are unusual or involve fleeing a disabled vehicle.

A recent fatal accident in Prince George’s County underscores the risks. According to Maryland State Police, a man was struck and killed on I-495 after fleeing a parked vehicle and attempting to cross the inner loop on foot near College Park. The crash occurred shortly after 3 a.m. and involved a Toyota sedan. Authorities are still working to identify the pedestrian and determine why he exited the vehicle. Charges may be pending, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Highway Pedestrian Crashes Raise Unique Legal Questions

In most pedestrian crash cases, liability depends on where the person was located and what actions were taken by both the driver and the pedestrian before impact. Highways, however, are not designed for pedestrian access. That fact does not automatically eliminate legal responsibility, but it does change how the facts are reviewed.

Drivers still have a duty to remain alert and to respond appropriately when a person is visible on or near the roadway. If a pedestrian tried to avoid another hazard or had just escaped a disabled vehicle, courts may examine whether the driver had time to prevent the crash. That review may include speed, lighting conditions, and whether the car remained in its lane.

Hit-and-Run or Partial Flight From the Scene Can Complicate Claims

While early reports do not suggest the driver of the Toyota fled, pedestrian fatalities that involve hit-and-run behavior introduce additional legal obstacles. When a driver leaves the scene, it becomes harder to determine vehicle speed, impairment, or possible distractions. Families left behind are often forced to pursue claims through uninsured motorist coverage or wait for law enforcement to identify the vehicle involved.

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Even in cases where the at-fault party remains at the scene, the pedestrian’s fleeing behavior may be used by insurance carriers to argue against full compensation. These cases require careful legal analysis. Was the pedestrian disoriented? Was there an emergency that made remaining in the car unsafe? These factors often affect liability and the outcome of any wrongful death claim.

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More often than not, pedestrian accidents occur when a driver strikes a pedestrian with their vehicle. Pedestrians accidents can have a number of causes, but they often result from a driver’s negligent behavior. When a pedestrian suffers injuries from a negligent driver, they may be able to bring a personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation for their harm.

For example, a recent news article reported a fatal pedestrian accident in Rockville, Maryland. The pedestrian was crossing a road known for speeding when two drivers, both traveling eastbound, struck her. Sadly, the pedestrian died at the scene. Both cars also suffered damage, but the drivers were unharmed.

What Are the Causes of a Maryland Pedestrian Accident?

Many busy, high-speed roadways lack sidewalks or any lane for pedestrians. The lack of protection poses a risk to pedestrians of injury or death. Too often, pedestrians cannot avoid these roadways, such as highways or interstates. For example, if a driver encounters a flat tire, check engine light, or even take an important phone call, they may have no choice but to stop. They may even leave their car and walk along the highway to seek help. In fact, a 20 year-old woman from Upper Marlboro was struck after she left her car to walk down I-270 near Maryland Route-109 in Frederick.

According to a local news article, the victim parked her car on the shoulder of the highway northbound before walking southbound down the highway. She was then struck by a BMW sedan and pronounced dead on the scene. The driver was unharmed. The reason the victim exited her vehicle is unclear, but some drivers may have the instinct to walk along the highway if they encounter an emergency.

Highway Pedestrian Safety Tips

Pedestrians, like motorists, often engage in multi-tasking, such as snacking, listening to music, or using hand-held devices. The effects of this usage are similar to those distracted drivers experience. However, unlike distracting driving, distracted walking has not received public attention, even though Maryland pedestrian accidents are a serious concern.

Walking has many public health benefits and helps reduce greenhouse emissions, climate change, and poor air quality. However, walking poses many dangers, especially when pedestrians proceed in areas in undesignated areas, highways, or during the early morning or late evening hours. However, the fact remains that many people have no choice but to walk, especially as gas prices increase.

Although walking can help mitigate traffic congestion, interactions between walkers and vehicles on the same roadway can create dangerous situations. Many factors significantly increase the likelihood of fatal and non-fatal pedestrians accidents. These include improper crossing, distraction, and failure to obey traffic signs. However, like many accidents where a significant difference in protection exists, it is often hard to determine the exact cause of these accidents.

In busy metropolitan areas, pedestrians often share public roads with motorists and bikers alike. Although in principle everyone should respect each other and their right of way, this does not always happen in practice. Sometimes, when drivers are not paying attention or visibility is poor, accidents can happen involving pedestrians. Because pedestrians are even more vulnerable when crossing a busy road, these collisions can often have devastating consequences, such as injury or death.

According to a recent local news report, a pedestrian was killed in a fatal crash along a busy part of I-83. Investigators reported that a rideshare driver was driving north on I-83 and called 911 because an unruly and potentially intoxicated passenger was assaulting him. The rideshare driver then pulled over, and the passenger exited the car and crossed over the median into the southbound lane. The man was walking along the highway when a Range Rover crashed into him. The accident remains under investigation by local authorities.

How Common Are Maryland Pedestrian Accident?

Unfortunately, Maryland is no stranger to pedestrian-related accidents. Because pedestrian accidents are most common in busy, urban areas, nearly 72 percent of all pedestrian fatalities occur in traffic-congested areas similar to busy metropolitan hubs across Maryland.

Police are investigating a fatal Maryland car accident that killed a pedestrian on a recent afternoon in Prince George’s County. According to one news source, the pedestrian was reportedly running across the I-495 highway where his vehicle was disabled on the shoulder. Traffic had slowed as the pedestrian was crossing the highway when one vehicle struck the pedestrian in the left lane. After the crash, the pedestrian was transported to a local hospital but unfortunately, he died at the hospital. He was 26 years old.

A pedestrian crash is a crash involving any person on foot, including a driver who has exited the vehicle. According to the most recent statistics from Maryland’s Department of Transportation, there were 123 pedestrian fatalities in 2019. There were 6,283 pedestrians killed in traffic crashes throughout the country in 2018, which was the most deaths in almost 30 years. That means that a pedestrian was killed in a traffic crash on average every 84 minutes. That year pedestrian deaths made up 17 percent of all traffic fatalities. The use of alcohol on the part of either the driver or the pedestrian was reported in 48 percent of all fatal pedestrian crashes in 2018. Pedestrian crashes are likely to occur in urban areas. Between 2009 and 2013 about 90 percent of crashes involving a pedestrian in Maryland took place in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas.

Notably, although vehicle traffic has decreased overall during the COVID-19 pandemic, pedestrian and bicycle traffic has increased. To avoid pedestrian crashes, drivers should be on the lookout for pedestrians at all times and should slow down when approaching a crosswalk.