Pedestrians are in a perilous position every time they step out in Florida, which is known to have the highest number of traffic fatalities per 100,000 population, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Still, one would think the sight of a person pushing a stroller would give most drivers pause and reason to exercise great caution.
Unfortunately, it seems more and more accidents are involving pedestrians with strollers. Although there are no available statistics on the issue, the anecdotal evidence is mounting.
Take for example the most recent case in Florida, which occurred in Fort Lauderdale. According to the Sun-Sentinel, a mother and 18-month-old baby girl were rushed to a nearby hospital on a recent night after being struck by a car. The report was that mother and child in stroller were crossing Davie Boulevard in the crosswalk. The vehicle was traveling eastbound.
Officials at this point have not cited anyone or indicated who may be at-fault in the crash, which occurred shortly after 6:30 p.m., but we know the driver stayed at the scene. While interviewed by a local television news crew, driver Carmen Perez was quoted as saying, “In a fraction of seconds, she was under the car.” Perez insisted she was driving slowly, and appeared visibly shaken by the ordeal. The mother and toddler were listed in critical condition at Broward Medical Health Center.
The horrific scene mirrors another that occurred last month in Clearwater. There, according to NBC affiliate News Channel 8, a two-vehicle collision also resulted in a mother and child in a stroller being struck as they traversed the adjacent sidewalk. A witness to that accident told local news reporter that the baby was thrown into some bushes nearby when the vehicle struck the stroller. The baby, she said, was bleeding from the chest and nose and was gasping for air as her mother, who was also injured, cradled her. She was just two-months-old.
Medics were able to stabilize the infant in order to fly her to All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg. Her injuries were serious, but not believed to be life-threatening. Investigators say the crash was caused when a 78-year-old driver of a smart car attempted to turn left and failed to yield to a vehicle in the opposite direction, driven by a 19-year-old. The older driver struck the vehicle of the younger driver, and one of those cars struck the mother and child who were at the corner of the intersection, on the sidewalk. The two drivers were also hospitalized, but their injuries were not as serious.
And back in September, a 16-year-old girl was killed in Port St. John (near Orlando) when she her boyfriend, who was pushing a baby stroller, were struck from behind while walking in the middle of a road by a 42-year-old passenger car driver. According to ClickOrlando.com, The boyfriend and the 19-month-old baby girl suffered serious injuries, but the 16-year-old girl survived. The driver told troopers it was dark and she never saw or expected the three in the roadway.
Our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys understand the varying circumstances of these cases will impact the type and amount of compensation these victims can receive. It’s imperative those injured contact a law firm with proven success to ensure no option is left off the table.
Call Fort Lauderdale Injury Attorney Richard Ansara at (954) 761-4011. Serving Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.
Additional Resources:
Woman, toddler crossing Fort Lauderdale street struck by SUV, officials say, Dec. 14, 2015, By Linda Trischitta, Sun Sentinel
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