Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog
We’ve said it here before, and we’ll say it again; Pedestrians and bicyclists are no match for a 3,000-pound motor vehicle even at low speeds. Physics cannot be changed and when a flesh and blood person is hit by a car, SUV or commercial vehicle, serious injuries are certain to result. And that’s if the individual is lucky enough to survive the crash — many people are killed outright when hit by a passenger car on the street.
Naturally, pedestrians and cars should remain apart whenever possible, but the reality of our modern age means that accidents are bound to happen from time to time. A recent news story made it rather clear that anyone can be caught in a pedestrian-auto accident even if the car is being driven by a highly trained professional, such as a police officer.
According to reports, a man in his 60s was hit by an unmarked police cruiser on a Monday night as he walked across Rte 4 in Prince Frederick. The accident happened just before 8pm when a Calvert County Sheriff’s Office deputy was passing through the area on what police call a routine patrol.
Based on police reports, the officer was driving northbound on Rte 4 not far from the Fox Run Shopping Center. It would appear the officer did not see the pedestrian who was reportedly wearing dark clothes and crossing in an area not designated as a crosswalk. Following the collision, the victim was transported to Calvert Memorial Hospital, but doctors were unable to save the man who was pronounced dead.
A Maryland State Police trooper, who was reportedly following the sheriff’s deputy when the accident occurred, stated that the officer’s cruiser was going at or below the 45mph speed limit at the time of the crash. One contributing factor may have been weather; it was raining at the time and visibility was reduced as well, according to the police accident report.
Pedestrian killed on Route 4, SoMDNews.com, September 28, 2010