Even though pedestrians should always be granted the right of way, sometimes drivers fail to do so. As such, everyone must stay alert for oncoming traffic when walking across the street. This point was emphatically made recently in Rutland, Massachusetts, when two adult pedestrians were nearly struck in a crosswalk by a distracted driver. But the two pedestrians were not your average citizens; they were police officers.
According to the police, the two officers were making their way across the street when an SUV drove by, missing them by mere inches. After the near miss, the officers reportedly yelled at the driver to halt, but the SUV just kept going.
The officers were able to get into their vehicle and pull the SUV over. It appears that the SUV's driver, a 40-year-old woman, had been busy texting on her cellphone when she nearly ran down the officers. Upon examining the woman's cellphone, one of the officers noted that it contained two recent text messages.
The woman was issued a citation for having failed to yield to a pedestrian who was in a crosswalk. The citation carries a $200 fine.
This story demonstrates how when drivers become distracted, they may be entirely oblivious to what is in their path; even when it is officers of the law. Being struck by a motor vehicle can leave a victim with serious, long-term injuries. If such injuries are the result of a driver not paying attention to the road, then that driver should be held accountable.
If you or someone in your family is ever in an auto-pedestrian accident, a Rhode Island personal injury attorney may be able to aid your pursuit of fair compensation. The attorney could act as your representative both with insurance companies and in any other legal avenues you may wish to take.
Source: WWMT CBS 3, "Police: Distracted driver nearly runs over two officers, is caught on camera," July 23, 2015
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