Officer Who Hit and Killed Pedestrian on Portsmouth Boulevard is Cleared of Reckless Driving

The fast-moving urban highways of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News and other cities claim many pedestrian victims.

But we don’t expect the driver who hits a pedestrian to be a police officer. Sadly, this is what happened in Portsmouth last May when a police cruiser hit a pedestrian on Portsmouth Boulevard.

This week WAVY.com reported on how the Portsmouth officer who was accused of hitting and killing a man with his cruiser was acquitted of any wrongdoing.

This sad incident happened in May 2014 on Portsmouth Boulevard and Woodstock Street. The victim, Sansage Weera, died.

WAVY reported that the officer was acquitted of the reckless driving charge. He remains on administrative duty pending the outcome of the city’s accident review board. WAVY reported on how 10 On Your Side was working to get dash cam video of the accident.

The dropping of any possible criminal charges fails to clear up some unanswered questions that we asked at the time of the accident.

The police cruiser did not have its flashing lights activated but was said by the police department not to be attending a call. When a pedestrian dies in circumstances like the one we saw in Portsmouth, family members may have grounds to file a wrongful death case against the driver or the police department that employs the driver.

Weera’s death is not the first time a police cruiser has hit a pedestrian along the same stretch of Portsmouth Boulevard, reported the Virginian Pilot.

In 2013, woman was hit in the 2600 block of the street, approximately a mile away. She was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.

Sometimes people think they don’t have a case against a driver or a government department, if criminal charges are not forthcoming. This is not the case. The civil law has a different burden of proof to the criminal law and you may be able to make a claim against a driver’s insurance policy if criminal charges are not brought.

There are far too many accidents involving pedestrians in Hampton Roads. Norfolk, Newport News, Portsmouth and Hampton see considerable numbers of accidents involving people on foot. In some cases the victims have been hit on crosswalks.

If you have sustained injuries after being hit by a car in Hampton Roads of Virginia, you may have grounds to file a lawsuit. Call Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers at 757.455.0077 or see this information about pedestrian accidents in Virginia.