A young man has been charged with speeding and reckless driving after killing a local woman in a San Diego pedestrian accident. Lawrence Joseph Farry, 25, is facing misdemeanor charges including gross vehicular manslaughter after speeding caused the young driver to lose control and collide into pedestrian Joan Milazzo, 56.
Milazzo had just finished a hike on the trails of Black Mountain with her husband and sister. The group was ready to cross Camino Del Sur Road in Del Sur when she was hit and killed, resulting in her wrongful death. Prosecutors in the case say Farry was driving 87 MPH when the Del Sur car accident occurred.
“She was in the gutter about to go on the curb when she was struck by the front right of the vehicle, the vehicle hit her and her body was propelled onto this vegetative area,” said Deputy District Attorney Chandelle Konstanzer.
In opening statements at San Diego Superior Court, Konstanzer said Farry was reckless in his driving – the primary contributing factor to Milazzo’s death.
“Had the defendant been going 50 mph, which is what he believed was the posted speed limit, he would have avoided striking Mrs. Milazzo by 122 feet,” added Konstanzer.
Representing attorney for Farry said the young man was speeding but was not negligent in this case. Farry did not flee the scene of the accident, but called 9-1-1 once the collision occurred.
The young man faces up to a year in prison if convicted of his charges.
Young drivers: safety first
It’s tragically too often that we see young drivers caught up in speeding car accidents. Just recently, a group of La Jolla teens were involved in a fatal car accident where police suspected car racing as the cause of collision. It’s never been more important to educate teens and young drivers on the importance of obeying traffic laws.
Speeding is the second highest contributor to car accident injury in San Diego, falling second only to distracted driving. Nearly one third of car accidents can be attributed to speeding.
Consider the following ideas to reduce speeding:
- Leave a few minutes early so you’re less likely to want to speed
- Play soothing or calming music during your drive
- Use cruise control when appropriate and set it to the speed limit
- Finally, if you’re still finding yourself inclined to speed, consider buying a slower car for your next vehicle purchase.
About the Law Offices of Michael Pines, APC
Michael Pines, founder, is San Diego’s Accident and Injury Expert with a running safety column at the La Jolla Light. When injured people need legal representation, they turn to the Law Offices of Michael Pines for expert advice. There are no fees unless we win. If you’ve been injured in an accident, call a personal injury attorney in San Diego at 1-800-655-6585 for a free legal consultation with no out-of-pocket costs involved.
About Michael PinesMichael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.
Thank you for all your help