Pedestrian Accidents in Virginia Beach – Crash Leaves Walker In a Critical Condition

Virginia Beach is a tough city to be a pedestrian in. It has wide urban highways and lacks crosswalks in many areas. In recent weeks, a spate of pedestrian accidents in Virginia Beach have caused headlines and left us increasingly concerned about the safety of people on foot.

Just today, a pedestrian was reported to be in a serious condition after he was hit by a car on Independence Boulevard at Virginia Beach Town Center.

The accident occurred just before 8 a.m. this morning at the intersection of Independence Boulevard and Virginia Beach Boulevard.

Virginia Beach police said in a tweet that southbound traffic on Independence was diverted at Broad St. on Friday morning.

We were saddened to read about this incident, the latest in a series of pedestrian accidents in Virginia Beach.

One afternoon earlier this month two accidents including one involving a pedestrian were reported on Kempsville Road in Virginia Beach.

Virginia Beach Police closed Kempsville Road northbound at Centerville Parkway due to an accident involving a pedestrian. A second, unrelated accident was reported involving an overturned vehicle in the 800 block of Kempsville Road.

Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers attorney John Cooper talks about pedestrian accidents

In February, a man suffered serious injuries when he was hit in an auto-pedestrian crash in the 1100 block of Virginia Beach Boulevard.

In some cases, walkers have been hit on crosswalks where they have the right of way. Earlier, this month a man was killed when he was mown down by a vehicle on a crosswalk on W. Little Creek Road in Norfolk.

The news channel WAVY.com reported a 57-year-old woman who was driving the car told investigators she was turning from Newport Avenue onto W. Little Creek Road when she struck the pedestrian who was in the crosswalk. The motorist was later cited with failure to yield the right of way.

We noted at least five pedestrian accidents in Virginia Beach since the start of the year. Walkers are routinely being hit by cars in Virginia’s largest city.

Many walkers have a false sense of security when they enter the roadway because they believe they have the right-of-way and that cars must yield to them.  Although this is sometimes true, it does not guarantee that drivers are always going to follow the rules of the road.

You should always cross the road at marked crosswalk or intersections. Never assume a driver will stop, even if you are in a crosswalk.

Traffic laws are as good as the drivers who follow them.  There are numerous distractions that can divert a driver’s attention from the road, whether he or she is texting, eating, or paying too much attention to a GPS.  It only takes one inattentive driver to cause a tragedy.

If you have been hurt in a pedestrian accident, see our information about injuries to pedestrians in Virginia and call us for help at (757) 455-0077.