Jaywalking is a citable offense in Las Vegas, and can mean that even if a pedestrian is seriously hurt after they were hit by a car, they can be held at fault for causing an accident on Clark County roadways. Jaywalking is sometimes referred to as “walking without the right to do so”, and can have dire consequences for the pedestrian. Jaywalking is also one of the most frequently cited offenses by Las Vegas and Henderson law enforcement officers, meaning that a pedestrian was either in a crosswalk when they did not have the right away determined by the flow of traffic, or when a pedestrian chooses to walk on Southern Nevada roads completely independent of a crosswalk and the inherent safety it provides when following all traffic laws. Pedestrians who choose to walk in a crosswalk without the right to do so, or who choose to flat out walk in the street really take a huge risk with this behavior and frequently end up injured or killed after getting into a traffic altercation with a car.
More often than not, there is one street that makes the news more often than others for the injuries and fatalities pedestrians will suffer there. The street is long, expansive and straight, encouraging drivers to speed and be less alert than some of Southern Nevada’s other, more curvy roads. This street is also lit in infrequent places, prone to lots of dark areas and frequented by foot traffic at all times of the day. It also is bisected by relatively few crosswalks for its length, encouraging pedestrians to cross it’s treacherous lanes without the shelter or safety of designated walkways and traffic lights that break the flow of traffic and cater to walkers. The street in question, is, of course, Boulder Highway.
The most recent report of a pedestrian being involved in a Las Vegas traffic fatality after being hit by a car takes place, surprisingly, in another part of Las Vegas. This pedestrian, as fate would have it, lost her life away from Boulder Highway and in a more central part of the Las Vegas Valley. According to reports by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, this particular pedestrian was attempting to cross the road when she was hit by a car and killed in Las Vegas. The Southern Nevada pedestrian traffic fatality happened just after 6:30 in the evening, according to police reports. The location of the incident happened on Swenson Street, just around the corner from Twain Avenue. It was a Saturday night, close to sundown, so low visibility may have been a cause of this pedestrian injury auto accident. The victim in the pedestrian traffic fatality was a 47-year-old woman who has yet to be identified publicly. After being hit by the car, the pedestrian woman was rushed to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. According to reports from Las Vegas Metro Police Department, the pedestrian injured in this story later died at the hospital from her injuries sustained in the accident.
If you or someone you care about has been struck by a car while walking in Las Vegas, the Las Vegas pedestrian accident lawyers at Benson & Bingham would love to give you a free consultation. The details of the pedestrian injury and fatality cases in Clark County can be nuanced and complex, so it would greatly benefit the plaintiff if they are represented by an experienced lawyer who has handled many pedestrian-related auto accidents in the past. Benson and Bingham are the best personal injury attorneys in Las Vegas, and they’re prepared to handle your case with skill and compassion. Contact them right away to have the details of your case examined.
