Pedestrian accidents: Alleged driver impairment blamed for death

Pedestrians who are walking along Missouri roads sometimes put their lives on the line. While many pedestrian accidents occur at night when drivers fail to see people dressed in dark clothing, some lives are lost when negligent drivers strike pedestrians in bright daylight. Such negligence often includes intoxication or distraction. Columbia police recently reported that such an accident claimed the life of a 36-year-old pedestrian.

An accident report indicates that a 56-year-old Fulton man was westbound on a Columbia roadway when he struck the pedestrian who was heading in the same direction. Reportedly, the pedestrian was walking on the edge of the road shortly after midday on a recent Friday. The driver of the car suffered no injuries, and there were no other occupants in the car.

The pedestrian suffered critical injuries, and he was rushed to a nearby hospital. Sadly, he succumbed to his injuries later on the same day. Authorities say the operator of the car was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

The trauma suffered by surviving family members after the lives of loved ones are lost in pedestrian accidents is surely devastating. It is common for relatives to want to see justice done in cases in which impaired drivers caused fatalities. Filing a wrongful death claim in a civil court is one option. However, before a Missouri court can adjudicate documented claims for monetary losses, financial liability must be established. That can only be accomplished by appropriate proof of negligence by a defendant that is found to have caused or contributed to the fatal accident.

Source: columbiatribune.com, “Pedestrian dies after crash near ABC Laboratories“, July 2, 2016