Fatal pedestrian accident kills California great-grandmother

• Posted on: January 10, 2016

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• Pedestrian Accidents

A California family is grieving the loss of a beloved great-grandmother who lost her life while crossing a South Sacramento road. At the same time, they are grateful that her great-granddaughter was not with her on that day. The family says the grandmother walks that route every day, usually with the child in tow. The California Highway Patrol is investigating this fatal pedestrian accident.

A preliminary accident report indicated that the 74-year-old pedestrian crossed the road in a crosswalk at an intersection. While she had a white signal to cross the road, a 62-year-old driver in a car also had a green light to go. However, it appears the driver proceeded to turn left without yielding to the pedestrian who was in the crosswalk.

The pedestrian was knocked down, and she was reportedly rushed to a hospital with a traumatic brain injury. Sadly, she survived for only three days and passed away on Dec. 31. The driver of the car claimed not to have seen the pedestrian, and CHP said she may be charged with misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter. No charges had been filed at the time of the report.

The family of the elderly California woman is finding it hard to accept that a pedestrian accident claimed her life, saying that one would expect an illness to be more likely to cause death at such an age. Although what happened cannot be undone, the family may pursue claims for financial compensation for end-of-life expenses and other documented financial and emotional losses. They retain the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver in a civil court, and once negligence is established by appropriate evidence, a monetary judgment may be entered.

Source: fox40.com, “Families Pushing for Change After Deadly Car vs. Pedestrian Crash on Fruitridge Road“, Nicole Comstock, Jan. 4, 2016