Pedestrian accidents: Fatal crash along Missouri 273

Missouri authorities in Platte City are investigating an accident that claimed the life of a 62-year-old woman after extensive personal injury. It is believed that the woman was walking along a state highway at the time, a tragic cause of some fatal pedestrian accidents. In mid-January, police responded to the report of a woman walking along a state highway shortly after 1 a.m., and it is believed that the woman chose to walk home. There is no indication of the nature of the specific personal injury to pedestrian beyond the fact that she was struck and killed by a motor vehicle.

It is believed that the dead pedestrian had been drinking in Weston earlier in the evening. Authorities believe that she was legally intoxicated at the time of the accident. Law enforcement had been alerted that the woman was walking in the roadway, but she was stuck before help could arrive. There is no indication if the authorities consider the driver to be at fault for the incident or if the vehicle that struck the woman even remained at the scene of the fatal accident.

The investigation into this particular accident may be rather complex. There is evidence that the woman had been drinking. However, drivers always have the obligation to drive carefully and cautiously around pedestrians. A closer investigation could reveal if the driver could face claims for financial liability for the consequences of the accident, but the accident investigation is ongoing. Many times, the initial reports of an accident are at variance with the actual details.

If an investigation suggests that the driver of the vehicle that struck the woman is deemed responsible for the pedestrian accident, the family of the deceased pedestrian may elect to explore options for reimbursement of financial losses. Wrongful death suits in Missouri are successful when there is evidence to prove that a personal injury to a pedestrian was caused by the negligence of another party. In some instances, the evidence may document that both a driver and a pedestrian were negligent in a manner that contributed to an accident, and liability may be apportioned based upon the degree of fault. With regard to fatal pedestrian accidents, a careful examination of all the evidence is the best way to know how to proceed.

Source: kansascity.com, Pedestrian fatally struck in Platte County is identified, Glenn E. Rice, Jan. 14, 2014