Wrongful Death Archives

Arizona pedestrian accident claims life of Peoria man

An Arizona pedestrian accident sent a Peoria man to the hospital with life-threatening injuries on Monday afternoon, the Republic reported.

AZ Family reported that the 30-year-old man died overnight after being struck by a truck while stopping at the side of the road to help a friend load a disabled bicycle into his car.

The victim stopped on the outside eastbound lane of Cactus Road to pick up a friend whose bicycle had a flat tire. A pickup truck driving eastbound rear-ended the vehicle, striking the man at about 3 p.m. The accident pinned the victim beneath the truck.

The victim’s friend and the truck’s driver were not injured. Cactus Road was closed for about three hours between 67th and 71st avenues. An investigation into the accident is ongoing and charges are possible.

A total of 124 people were killed in Arizona pedestrian accidents in 2008, compared to 157 killed in 2007, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. More than 1,300 pedestrian accidents were reported in urban areas, while just 140 were reported in rural areas.

In Peoria, a total of 2,462 traffic accidents were reported in 2008, killing 18 people and injuring 1,003.

Arizona traffic statistics for last year are due out in the coming weeks.

Chandler, Arizona DUI car accident results in death of teenager

by Dave Abels

A teen has past away from injuries received in a Arizona car crash, according to AZCentral.com. The driver of the other car involved in the accident was allegedly intoxicated, almost three times the legal limit of .08.

The collision took place last Thursday on Ray Road in Chandler, Arizona. The victim, a high school senior, was flown to an area hospital due to the severity of his injuries, AZFamily.com has reported. The teen was on life support until he passed away on Saturday evening.

At the time of the accident, the defendant was westbound on Ray Road in a Chevy pickup truck around 10:15 p.m. He was traveling around 80 mph in a 45 zone when he struck the victim’s van on the passenger side as the van was turning left. Lab work taken later at the hospital showed the DUI driver had a blood alcohol level of .227.

The driver has reportedly been charged with manslaughter and his bond has been set at $250,000. He is scheduled to appear in court next on May 17.

In the year 2008 alone, there were 6,757 alcohol related auto accidents in the State Arizona. 324 people were killed and 4,733 were injured in those crashes, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. Over 78 percent of the alcohol related accidents took place in urban areas.

81 year old passenger killed in Mesa, Arizona auto accident involving police car

by Dave Abels

A Phoenix area car crash has lead the he death of an eighty-one year old woman, according to the Arizona Republic. The accident occurred around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday in the area of 1600 S. Crismon in Mesa, and involved a police cruiser.

The elderly victim was being driven by her 58 year old daughter who attempted to make a left turn from southbound Crismon onto the on ramp of U.S. 60. While making the turn she reportedly failed to yield to oncoming traffic and was hit by an unmarked police car that was headed northbound.

The police officer was not seriously hurt. He was taken to Desert Vista Hospital with neck injuries and bruising and was later released.

The 81 year old had to be cut from the car by the Mesa Fire Department and was then taken to Desert Vista Hospital and pronounced dead a short time later.

Drugs and alcohol reportedly did not play a role in the accident.

This is the second fatal car accident involving a Mesa police officer over the last month. As we reported in April on the Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, a police officer hit and killed a pedestrian that was laying in the street.

Arizona motorcycle accidents continue to concern safety advocates

by Dave Abels

Arizona motorcycle accidents are a continuing cause for concern as the Governors Highway Safety Association reports the state was the 9th deadliest in the nation for motorcycle accidents in 2009.

While final statistics will be released in the coming weeks, the association reports that 98 riders were killed in Arizona during 2009 — no reduction over the 98 killed in 2008 — even as a significant decline occurred nationwide for the first time in more than a decade.Nationwide, motorcycle accidents are forecast to decline to 4,762 deaths, compared to the 5,290 deaths reported in 2008. After 11 years of increases, officials say more needs to be done before the decrease can be considered part of a sustainable decline.

“We will need to see three to five years of decline before we are ready to say that a positive trend has developed,” Association Chairman Vernon Betkey said.

Recently, a Phoenix motorcycle accident killed four people and seriously injured five others after a large dump truck plowed into eight bikes stopped at a traffic light in North Phoenix near 27th Drive and Carefree Highway. The accident was so shocking that the American Motorcycle Association offered a public apology and condolences to the families.

Witnesses reported the dump truck ran over the motorcycles and collided with an SUV that had originally been stopped at the light in front of the bikes. Some of the motorcycles burst into flames as bikes and riders were dragged 50 to 75 yards.

“I have never seen such a horrific accident involving so many motorcycles,” Phoenix Public Safety Manager Jack Harris told reporters at the scene. Local newspapers reported that the 46-year-old truck driver has two pending speeding citations, both issued within the last month.

Accidente de pedestre en Glendale, Arizona reclama la vida de una mujer atropellada por un autobús escolar

by Dave Abels

Un pedestre de Arizona vs. accidente de autobús escolar ha reclamado la vida de una mujer en Glendale el miércoles por la mañana, según el Arizona República. La víctima, una mujer de 39 años, estaba cruzando la calle en el área de la Avenida 47 y la Avenida Peoria.

La mujer iba caminando hacia el norte por una luz verde cuando el autobús escolar, que también iba hacia el norte, giró a la derecha y no se dio cuenta del pedestre en el cruce peatonal. Las Noticias de ABC informan que el pedestre estaba en un cruce peatonal cuando fue atropellada.

El Departamento de Policía en Glendale esta manejando la investigación del accidente. Ningunos niños fueron heridos. La víctima fue trasladada al Hospital Valley, donde murió poco tiempo después.

En el año 2008, 124 pedestres murieron 1,423 resultaron heridos en Arizona según el Departamento de Transporte de Arizona. Ochenta y nueve de los accidentes pedestres fatales ocurrieron en áreas urbanas.

Bajo la ley de Arizona, los conductores están obligados a ser cuidadosos para evitar chocar con un pedestre en la via. Aún más, los conductores tienen que ceder el paso a los pedestres en un cruce peatonal.

Glendale, Arizona pedestrian accident claims life of woman hit by school bus

by Dave Abels

An Arizona pedestrian vs. school bus accident has taken the life of a woman in Glendale on Wednesday morning, according to the Arizona Republic. The victim, a 39 year old woman, was crossing the street in the area of 47th Avenue and Peoria Avenue.

The woman was walking northbound on a green light when the school bus, who was also northbound, turned right and failed to notice her. ABC News is reporting that the pedestrian was in a crosswalk when she was hit.

The Glendale Police Department is handling the crash investigation. No children were injured. The victim was rushed to Valley Hospital where she died a short time later.

In the year 2008 alone, 124 pedestrians were killed 1,423 pedestrians were injured in Arizona according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. Eighty nine of the fatal pedestrian accidents occurred in urban areas.

Under Arizona law, drivers are required to “exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian on any roadway”. Further, drivers have to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in a crosswalk.

Improving economy could impact recent reduction in Arizona car accidents

by Dave Abels

In 2008, Arizona traffic accidents totaled 119,588, including 842 fatal accidents that claimed 937 lives, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Total accidents declined by more than 15 percent, compared to the 141,092 crashes reported in 2007. Authorities will be watching the numbers carefully when the state releases 2009 figures in the coming weeks to see if that trend continues.While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports a reduction in traffic accidents nationwide, from 37,261 in 2008 to 33,963 in 2009, some experts point to the weak economy and high unemployment as primary causes and believe serious and fatal accidents will rebound with an economic recovery.

The stats in Arizona give validity to that argument:
2004: 138,899 crashes claimed 1,159 lives 2005: 140,574 crashes claimed 1,193 lives 2006: 143,093 crashes claimed 1,300 lives 2007: 141,092 crashes claimed 1,071 lives 2008: 119,588 crashes claimed 937 lives
With the upcoming publication of last year’s statistics, comparison to a number of 2008 metrics will be useful:

-Approximately 2.57 people a day were killed in Arizona traffic accidents; or one person every 9.36 hours.

-About 153 people a day were injured; or one person every 10 minutes.

-Alcohol was involved in about one-third of all fatal Arizona traffic accidents. Of those, 4 out of 5 occurred in urban areas.

-7 out of 10 crashes occurred during daylight hours.

-Arizona traffic crashes caused more than $2.8 billion in damages.

-33 children under the age of 14 were killed in motor vehicle accidents and 4,510 were injured.
Continue reading “Improving economy could impact recent reduction in Arizona car accidents”

Negligent operation cited in fatal Phoenix bus accident

by Dave Abels

A Phoenix bus, involved in a fatal Arizona bus accident that claimed six lives last month, was being driven so erratically that several motorists called 911 shortly before it plunged off the freeway and overturned, the Arizona Republic reported.

A 130-page report was released this week by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, detailing several safety violations, including brake problems, poor maintenance and driver logbook violations. The report also said the driver was believed to be going too fast and may have fallen asleep at the wheel.

However, no specific cause of the crash was identified in the report and no citations have been issued, pending a review by the Pinal County Attorney’s Office.

The March 5 accident occurred when the bus crashed into a pickup truck on Interstate 10 as it was traveling to Los Angeles from central Mexico. The bus veered into the median and then back across several lanes, before rolling into a ditch. Six of 22 passengers were killed.

A drug expert concluded the driver was not impaired. However, authorities report he has changed his story several times during interviews with investigators. Motorists reported the bus was speeding, tailgating several semis and driving erratically through traffic.

Police report the bus driver was incapable of reading or speaking English, as required by Arizona law, and did not have his logbook up to date. Documents report that the owner of Tierra Santa, the Los Angeles-area company that owns the bus, tried to take out insurance on the bus after the crash.