Pedestrian Deaths

In reviewing Tennessee news outlets this morning I can tell you that this week has not been kind to pedestrians. WBIR TV in Knoxville reported that a 51-year old man from Greene County was attempting to cross the street when he was hit by driver Billy Daniel Miller, 72. The victim Somphou Pommachanh was pronounced dead on arrival at Johnson City Medical Center. Police believe the victim was under the influence of alcohol.

A 56 year-old Nashville homeless man was struck by a Hit & Run driver while crossing Donelson Pike, reports News Channel 5. Witnesses saw a dark colored SUV speed out of a parking lot, ran over and killed the man and then drive away at a high rate of speed.

And in a horrible turn of events, a Kingsport man was struck by two cars and died at the scene. Wayne Quesenberry, 26, of Kingsport was initially hit by an SUV and thrown into the path of a pickup truck going the other direction. The second vehicle described as an F-150 fled the scene and is being sought by police.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) A pedestrian is defined as any person not in or upon a motor vehicle or other vehicle. In 2007, 4,654 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, a decrease of 13 percent from the 5,321 pedestrians killed in 1997. On average, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 113 minutes and injured in a traffic crash every 8 minutes. There were 70,000 pedestrians injured in traffic crashes in 2007. Most pedestrian fatalities in 2007 occurred in urban areas (73%), at non-intersection locations (77%), in normal weather conditions (90%), and at night (67%).

More than two-thirds (70%) of the pedestrians killed in 2007 were males. In 2007, the male pedestrian fatality rate per 100,000 population was 2.19, more than double the rate for females (0.91 per 100,000 population). In 2007, the male pedestrian injury rate per 100,000 population was 26, compared with 20 for females. The message I’d like to leave you with is that whether you are behind the wheel or on foot you must avoid distractions and keep your eyes on what you are doing.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Nashville automobile pedestrian accident the injuries can be very serious and you ought to contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your right. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

Pedestrian Safety

A pedestrian was killed after he stopped on the roadway to help another pedestrian who had, moments before, been hit by another  car. How tragic is that? According to an article on the web site of Nashville TV station News Channel 5, the initial victim had darted out into downtown traffic and was hit by a car that swerved to avoid him. The second victim witnessed that accident and stopped to render aid and was struck by a car going the opposite direction. Victim two died at a local hospital and victim one is in critical condition.

My heart goes out to the victims and their families and loved ones. These tragic accidents are so avoidable, but yet, they take place so quickly that It’s hard to figure out what happened. Both pedestrians and drivers are responsible to keep a look out for each other. Under Tennessee law the pedestrian always has the right of way but that right is tempered by the circumstances. Pedestrians are supposed to cross streets at corners or designated crosswalks and drivers are required to always be on the alert for pedestrians.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)  defines a pedestrian as any person not in or upon a motor vehicle or other vehicle. In 2007, 4,654 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in the United States, a decrease of 13 percent from the 5,321 pedestrians killed in 1997.  On average, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 113 minutes and injured in  a traffic crash every 8 minutes. There were 70,000 pedestrians injured in traffic crashes in 2007.

Most pedestrian fatalities in 2007 occurred in urban areas (73%), at non-intersection locations (77%), in normal weather conditions (90%), and at night (67%). More than two-thirds (70%) of the pedestrians killed in 2007 were males. In 2007, the male pedestrian fatality rate per 100,000 population was 2.19, morethan double the rate for females (0.91 per 100,000 population). In 2007, the male pedestrian injury rate per 100,000 population was 26, compared with 20 for females.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Nashville vehicle/pedestrian accident contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies. Details about our attorneys and staff can be found by viewing our website at www.seriousinjury.com where you can get to know the men and women who will be looking out for your best interest. We provide free consultations to the victims and families of Nashville accident victims.

Pedestrian Safety

Each year pedestrian fatalities comprise about 11 percent of all traffic fatalities and there are approximately 4,600 pedestrian deaths. Another 70,000 pedestrians are injured in roadway crashes annually. A pedestrian is defined as any person not in or upon a motor vehicle. On average, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 113 minutes and injured in a traffic crash every 8 minutes. There were 70,000 pedestrians injured in traffic crashes in 2007. Most pedestrian fatalities in 2007 occurred in urban areas (73%), at non-intersection locations (77%), in normal weather conditions (90%), and at night (67%). More than two-thirds (70%) of the pedestrians killed in 2007 were males. In 2007, the male pedestrian fatality rate per 100,000 population was 2.19  more than double the rate for females (0.91 per 100,000 population). In 2007, the male pedestrian injury rate per 100,000 population was 26, compared with 20 for females.

As we navigate the sidewalks and roadways on foot we must be particularly careful to keep a watch out for motor vehicles. Of particular importance is safety in parking lots. As we come and go from shopping, whether for groceries or other items, when we are walking in a parking lot we are most vulnerable to being hit by a car.

Witness a recent accident involving a Knox County family. According to an article on the website for  Knoxville TV station WBIR, Brad and Jessica Ingram and their two children were running errands and as they were leaving a shopping center parking lot, Mr. Ingram suffered a seizure and his foot landed on the accelerator. The van he was driving raced forward at full speed directly at a large retail store entrance. At the last second Jessica ingram grabbed the wheel and the vehicle hit a pylon and rolled over trapping the family inside. Fortunately none of the dozens of pedestrians who were in the area were injured. This situation could have turned out badly. It illustrates my main point here and that is that we have to be alert and free from distractions wherever we are.

Fortunately, these same pedestrians who were moments before in dire jeopardy acted quickly to pull the family from the vehicle and all were provided medical treatment and released. Neither of the children, each safely secured in car seats were injured.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Nashville pedestrian/car accident contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.  We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

Reduce Road Fatalities

Last week Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely joined representatives from the Governor’s Highway Safety Office, Department of Safety, Department of Health, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, AARP, AAA Auto Club South, and a number of other highway safety partners to sign a new Strategic Highway Safety Plan for Tennessee on Wednesday, September 30. The goal of the new plan is to reduce the number of fatalities in Tennessee by 10% by 2012.

Citing the success of the 2006- 2008 Strategic Highway  Safety Plan, Kendell Poole, Director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Office said, “The good news is the number of deadly crashes in Tennessee dropped nearly 14% between 2007 and 2008. The bad news is there were still more than 1,000 people who died in crashes in our state last year. We want to see that number decline even more and are pledging today to reduce fatal crashes by another 10% by 2012.”

The new Strategic Highway Safety Plan again focuses on the four “E’s”: Education, Enforcement, Engineering, and Emergency Response, with a goal of having fewer than 900 fatalities on Tennessee highways by 2012. The new plan also includes a new program designed to educate senior drivers. When crash and fatality rates are calculated, older drivers, much like teen drivers, are over-represented.

“All drivers, whether it’s teens just learning to drive or seniors who’ve been driving for decades, need to be consistently reminded about safe driving practices and updated on new traffic laws,” said Department of Safety Deputy Commissioner Greta Dajani.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration fact sheet on older drivers focuses on the older population in the United States which includes all people age 65 and older. In 2007, 13 percent of the total U.S. resident population (38 million) were people age 65 and older. There were 30 million older licensed drivers in 2006 – an 18-percent increase from 1996. In contrast, the total number of licensed drivers increased by only 13 percent from 1996 to 2006. Older drivers made up 15 percent of all licensed drivers in 2006, compared with 14 percent in 1996.

In 2007, 196,000 older individuals were injured in traffic crashes, accounting for 8 percent of all the people injured in traffic crashes during the year. These older individuals made up 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, 14 percent of all vehicle occupant fatalities, and 19 percent of all pedestrian fatalities. Most traffic fatalities involving older drivers in 2007 occurred during the daytime (79%), occurred on weekdays (72%), and involved other vehicles 71%.

The new Senior Driver Safety Education Program aims to give seniors the information they need to stay up to date on new traffic laws and other safety measures they can take to improve their driving skills. You and I, as individuals, can help make this happen if you commit to reviewing the Tennessee Rules of the Road and make a good faith effort to follow the law and become safer drivers.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Nashville car accident involving a teen or an older driver contact the experienced Nashville automobile accident attorneys at Phillip Miller & Associates and find out about your rights and remedies.

https://news.tennesseeanytime.org/node/2623