Pedestrian Accidents

Court Reversed Dismissal of Case Based on Trial Judge’s Improper Jury Instructions

January 12, 2016 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last month, a state supreme court handed down a decision reversing a lower court’s ruling in favor of a defendant who struck a pedestrian as she was crossing the street. The court based its reversal on the improper jury instructions that were given by the trial judge.

Samson v. Nahulu: The Facts of the Case

In the case, Samson v. Nahulu, the plaintiff was the family of a young girl who was seriously injured when she was struck by an SUV driven by the defendant. The facts of the case were hotly contested at trial, with testimony from several eyewitnesses differing as to many of the important variables, such as whether the girl was in the crosswalk at the time of the accident, how far into the road she was when she was hit, and where exactly the nearby buses were parked in relation to the point of collision.

During trial, the judge made several important rulings regarding the evidence that the jury was allowed to consider. Specifically, the judge determined that the plaintiff would not be permitted to have a lay witness testify that the defendant was going “too fast,” and the court would not allow a photo of the intersection annotated by a witness that showed the young girl was in a crosswalk at the time of the accident.

New Technology May Reduce Pedestrian Accidents

November 17, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in Germantown, a pedestrian was killed as he crossed Route 355 at around six o’clock in the afternoon. According to a local news source, a northbound driver struck the pedestrian, who was taken to Suburban Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

With more and more people out on the road than ever before, auto manufacturers and lawmakers are constantly looking for technology that can reduce the increasing amount of fatal accidents across the country. According to one recent news article, new technology being developed by a German company may help drivers avoid pedestrian accidents.

Evidently, the Germany-based company, Bosch, is currently working on technology that can act to take over the control of a vehicle that would likely end up hitting a pedestrian. According to researchers, the technology can sense when a pedestrian is nearby and can track their likely trajectory. If the on-board computer believes that the driver is unaware of the pedestrian and that a collision is imminent, brakes can be applied, and the car can even steer itself away from the pedestrian.

One-Year-Old Killed by Fleeing Driver in Baltimore Pedestrian Accident

November 10, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, a one-year-old boy was killed when he was struck by an car that had been hit by a driver who was fleeing police. According to one local news source, the accident occurred on the 5300 block of Monrovia Road.

Evidently, the driver first struck an unoccupied police cruiser that was near the scene of another fatal accident. Instead of stopping, the driver fled the scene with police in tow. Police were chasing the vehicle, which was heading into downtown Baltimore, when it crashed into a Volvo. The Volvo was pushed up onto the curb, where it collided with the one-year-old boy, who was in a stroller being pushed by his mother.

The driver was seriously injured and was taken to the hospital that evening. He was discharged the next day before charges had been filed against him. He left the hospital, and it wasn’t until two days later that charges were filed. At the time of the article’s publication, police were still looking for the man.

Woodlawn Pedestrian Accident Kills One, Seriously Injures Another

October 26, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Woodlawn, a pedestrian accident claimed the life of one Maryland woman and seriously injured a second person. According to one local news report, the accident took place in the early morning hours at the intersection of Security Boulevard and Gwynn Oak Avenue.

Evidently, the pedestrians were crossing at an intersection that was not well lit and was not marked with a crosswalk when a Toyota Prius struck them both. The driver of the Prius remained on the scene and has cooperated with the police investigation, which is still ongoing. The 56-year-old woman was taken to Sinai Hospital, where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries. Her male companion was also taken to the hospital, although his condition is not currently known.

The crash remains under investigation, and the driver of the Prius has not yet been cited by authorities for her role in the fatal accident.

Pedestrian Killed in Tragic Lanham Accident, Police Considering Homicide Charges

September 2, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last month in Lanham, Maryland, one man was killed when he was struck by a car that was being operated by a woman whom he was romantically involved with, possibly his wife. According to one local news report, the accident took place on the 9400 block of Washington Boulevard and Seabrook Road. Witnesses on the scene at the time told reporters that it appeared as though the driver of the car targeted the pedestrian.

Evidently, the vehicle was traveling on Seabrook Drive when it suddenly changed its direction of travel and collided with the pedestrian. After the pedestrian was hit, he became airborne and landed next to a tree that was a few feet off the roadway. Witnesses told reporters that the driver of the car then drove up over the curb and into the tree, crushing the man.

Witness accounts differ, but some people say that the woman started screaming that it was her husband and that he had been beating her. Other accounts suggest that she found out that he was being unfaithful. In either event, it seems as though it could have been an intentional act. Police, however, did not immediately determine that the incident was a homicide and instead opened an investigation.

Beloved Neighborhood “Grandmother” Killed in Pedestrian Accident with Truck

November 4, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in Upper Marlboro, a tragic accident claimed the life of a well-loved woman and fixture of the neighborhood. According to a report by one local news source, the woman was walking along Route 210/Indian Head Highway near Berry Road when she was hit by a passing truck.

Evidently, the accident occurred around 5:30 in the morning, when it was still dark outside. Police told reporters that the driver of the truck stayed at the scene of the accident, and that the woman was not in a crosswalk when she was struck and killed.

One neighbor told reporters that the specific section of Route 210 where the woman was hit is a very busy, fast, and dangerous area with traffic constantly zooming by. It is not clear who is at fault in the accident. However, it does not seem that the driver of the truck was cited for any violation.

Mother Killed in Pedestrian Accident, Three-Year-Old Daughter Survives

September 10, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In a tragic accident that occurred earlier this month in Riverdale, a young mother was killed and her three-year-old daughter injured when they were hit as they were crossing the street. According to a report by WUSA9, the accident occurred on the 5800 block of Riverdale Road on a Monday afternoon.

Evidently, the woman and her daughter were crossing the street at a crosswalk when the accident occurred. Witnesses to the accident state that the two were attempting to cross a three-lane road, and drivers in two of the three lanes stopped to let them pass. However, a driver in the third lane did not stop or slow down and hit the mother and child.

Witnesses also told police that the driver was either texting or talking on the phone at the time of the accident. Police are conducting a full investigation into the accident and have not charged the driver as of yet. The driver did remain on the scene after the accident.

Teenage Girl Dies in Auto-Pedestrian Accident

July 9, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last week, in a tragic accident in Silver Spring, a teenage girl lost her life when a car unexpectedly left the roadway and hit her while she was watching a soccer match. According to a report by ABC 7, the girl was watching the soccer match with a family friend when a 2008 Ford Escape ran over a curb, hit a sign, and eventually ran into a tree. Along its collision course, the SUV hit both the 13-year-old girl as well as the adult friend of the family.

The teenage girl was pronounced dead at the scene. The other adult victim was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and is expected to fully recover. The girl’s father was coaching the soccer match and witnessed the aftermath of the accident, explaining “When I turned around, I see my daughter under the car, rolling under the car like four, five times. She was bleeding from the nose, from the mouth, from the ear…bleeding like crazy. And then she closed her eyes and that’s when she died.”

Both the driver as well as the passengers of the SUV have not fully cooperated with investigators, and witnesses to the accident have been slow to come forward. Police believe that this is because the area is predominantly Hispanic, and witnesses may be fearful to come forward due to the potential immigration consequences of doing so.

Woman Killed When She Was Struck By an Unmarked Police Car; Officer Placed on Administrative Leave

April 15, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week, a woman was killed when she was struck by an unmarked police car on Dual Highway in Washington County. According to a report by Herald Mail Media, the accident took place around 3:30 a.m. when a sheriff’s deputy was heading east on Dual Highway near the 1300 block.

The officer remained on the scene and called back up. Emergency personnel took the woman—a Hagerstown resident—to Meritus Medical Center where she died a few hours later from the injuries she sustained as a result of the accident. The accident is being investigated by the Washington County State Attorney’s Office, as well as by another undisclosed law enforcement agency. The officer involved in the accident has been placed on administrative leave pending the result of the investigation.

Pedestrian Accidents Frequent on Maryland Roads

This tragic accident was the second in a three week span on Dual Highway. Just a few weeks back, a Cumberland woman was struck and killed by a hit and run driver. She was also taken to Meritus Medical Center where she died a short time after arrival. The hit and run driver involved in that crash has still not been identified.

A Series of Accidents in Prince George’s County Leaves Two Dead and One Injured

March 14, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Two people were killed and another critically injured in a series of auto accidents in Prince George’s County. According to a report by ABC 7, the accidents all occurred around Wednesday, March 5, 2014.

The First Accident

A violent collision occurred Wednesday night on the 8600 block of Contee Road when one vehicle crossed the center median for an unknown reason and slammed into another oncoming vehicle One of the drivers was thrown through the windshield. One of the drivers was pronounced dead at the scene. The other was taken to a nearby hospital where she is expected to recover. Police believe that speed was a factor in the accident.

The Second Accident

A man driving alone was killed when his car unexpectedly left the roadway and collided with an object on the side of the road. The accident occurred at Rhode Island Avenue and 38th Street in Mt. Rainier. The man was taken to the hospital, but died from the injuries he sustained as a result of the accident.