Deadly Pedestrian Accidents in Virginia Beach Are Common

Deadly pedestrian accidents in Virginia Beach occur all too regularly. We were saddened to learn about a wreck that left two people dead in Virginia’s largest city last week.

Media reports stated two people including a pedestrian lost their lives and four others were injured in a crash involving two vehicles.

The wreck occurred in the early hours of Feb. 15 at the intersection of S. Military Highway and Indian River Road, according to media reports. Emergency communications received the call at 12:53 a.m.

Virginia Beach Police found two wrecked vehicles at the scene. Two people were pronounced dead. Investigators originally thought the deceased people were thrown from a vehicle. The crash team later said one of the victims was a pedestrian.

The team said one of the vehicles, a Nissan Altima, was traveling north on S. Military Highway at a high speed. According to a WAVY.com report, the Altima’s driver intentionally ran through multiple red traffic signals.

As the Nissan sped toward the intersection of Indian River Road, a Toyota Camry was making a left onto Indian River Road from a southbound turning lane on S. Military Highway, police said.

The Nissan crashed into the Toyota as it turned. The force of the impact sent the Toyota into a spin. It veered toward the east side of S. Military Highway where it struck a pedestrian.

Police said the Nissan’s driver was ejected from the car and it rolled over. The four injuries sustained in the crash were non-life-threatening, police said.

The crash closed down the intersection of S. Military Highway and Indian River Road for more than five hours while crews investigated the crash.

Our thoughts are with family of the victims of this serious crash. It’s not clear why a car was apparently speeding and running red lights. However, there is little dispute over the fact speed kills in Virginia.

It’s particularly tragic when innocent bystanders become victims of crashes caused by reckless driving.

Indian River Road in Virginia Beach has seen many other serious and fatal pedestrian accidents in recent years.

In December 2018, a serious auto-pedestrian crash was reported outside the Founders Inn on Indian River Road. Police reported a car hit a woman. The driver of the car remained at the accident scene. First responders took the pedestrian to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

Police said the woman left a 7-Eleven and tried to cross Indian River Road. They reported a 2004 Jeep Cherokee traveling westbound in the 5600 block of Indian River Road hit the pedestrian who was crossing the road outside of a crosswalk.

Virginia Beach is most city populous in Virginia. It built around the car. It can be challenging for pedestrians to cross Virginia Beach’s wide, fast-moving highways.

Many cities in the Commonwealth are unsafe places for pedestrians. According to Crash Facts published by the Virginia Highway Safety Office, 114 pedestrians lost their lives in the state in 2017.

According to Virginia law, drivers must stop for pedestrians at:

• Any clearly marked crosswalk, whether at in the middle of the block or at the end of any block;
• At any intersection when the driver is approaching on a road where the legal maximum speed does not exceed 35 miles per hour.

Pedestrians have rights in Virginia. All too often, drivers fail to look out for them, don’t give them time to cross on crosswalks or afford them the right of way at intersection turns.

Please call our Virginia pedestrian accident lawyers if you have been hit and hurt by a car while crossing the road. Contact Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers today at (757) 231-6443.