Man Hit Twice While Trying to the Cross Street in New York

Drivers everywhere know that it is important to keep an eye out of pedestrians. But drivers in New York City need to be especially aware of pedestrians because so many people walk as their primary method of transportation. It is a city in which many people do not drive, and walking is often the quickest way to get where you are going.

That is why it was so shocking that a pedestrian was hit by not only one, but two, cars earlier this week. A 28-year-old man was crossing the street in the Bronx when he was hit by a minivan. A few minutes later, that man was lying injured on the ground when he was hit by another car. The pedestrian accident was caused by the negligence of two drivers who should have been paying more attention to their driving.

The victim was crossing the street in the crosswalk of a busy intersection when the minivan driver said he “just ran out in front” of the vehicle. The driver said that he “didn’t see [the victim] until he was right in front.” Yet the minivan driver still had a responsibility to pay attention to the pedestrians who might be crossing at that intersection.

The first accident likely led to the second. After the victim bounced off of the minivan’s windshield, he was hit by a car which was driven by an employee of the New York City Department of Sanitation. The driver of that car, as a city employee, should have been even more careful to avoid a collision of this sort.

Emergency medical personnel took the man to St. Barnabas Hospital to be treated for his personal injuries. Unfortunately, the man may have a hard time receiving the compensation he deserves for medical bills, lost wages and other damages.

Source: Daily News, “Day laborer, struck by two cars in Bronx, in critical condition,” Sarah Armaghan and Rocco Parascandola, 10 Jan 2011