A 15-year-old Modesto, California girl is in stable condition after a hit-and-run pedestrian accident in which she was struck by a car driver while walking on a crosswalk at 3:10 p.m. on Thursday, February 5, 2009.

Police said the 15-year-old girl had activated the crosswalk lights.  A Modesto resident was arrested on suspicion hit-and-run and driving without a license.

While it is widely known that you should always stop for a pedestrian on a crosswalk, one Modesto resident was not surprised at all that this sort of thing happened.  Area car drivers just are careless and inattentive according to one 62-year-old resident and our pedestrian accident attorneys would have to agree.

“Ninety percent of the time, drivers just don’t pay attention,” the reports said. “They just don’t stop. I’m not sure what their thinking is.  Either they are oblivious to it or ignore it or are thinking something else.”

The resident went on to say that drivers apparently have no regard for pedestrian safety and that some drivers speed up as they approach the crosswalk in an attempt to get across it before pedestrians reach the curb.

With a home a few blocks from the crosswalk, the resident had used the path a few times a week since it opened about two years ago, that is until he stopped doing so several months ago.  He no longer feels safe crossing these intersections — with the threat of a pedestrian accident so great.

A lot of recreational places nearby (a park, an elementary school and a junior high) are near this intersection, and he and other concerned citizens would like to see an increased the police presence there.  That way, there would be more accountability for the dangerous driving practices that have put a pedestrian accident risk for anyone brave enough to cross there.

“It’s amazing how people obey the law when they see a patrol car,” he said.  “If they just can have a patrol car parked there from time to time.”

Our firm’s pedestrian accident attorneys cannot believe that car drivers are so careless with the safety of pedestrians in Modesto.  There are really only two explanations for the driver carelessness that is causing pedestrian accidents.  Either drivers in that area are poorly educated on the rules of the roadway; or, more likely, these car drivers know better and do not care about the safety of the people they share the road with.

Finally, after having represented many injured pedestrians, we strongly believe that pedestrians should not just look “left and right,” but also all around them (meaning, turn their head around to see if a car is approaching, such as from behind them and to the left) to avoid ending up in the hospital for medical treatment due to a run-in with a reckless driver.

Call us now at 1-858-551-2090 or click here for a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney and find out how we can help you.  We speak English and Spanish, and we look forward to providing advice for your case.  No fee if no recovery