Red Light Runner Causes Wreck on Sewells Point Road and Robin Hood Road in Norfolk

Red light runners are responsible for countless injuries and deaths on the roads of America. Just hours ago on the streets of Norfolk a red light runner caused an SUV to flip over, injuring the driver, according to police.

When you are driving through an intersection on a green light you don’t expect to be hit by a red light runner and you are not prepared to take evasive action. ABC 13 reported on a crash that happened around 6:45 a.m. on Monday at the intersection of Sewells Point Road and Robin Hood Road in Norfolk.

A woman who was driving a Lincoln Town Car eastbound on Robin Hood Road went through a red light and hit a Ford Explorer that was going north on Sewells Point Road, according to Officer Daniel Hudson.

“The SUV ended up on its side and the woman driver had to be cut free from the vehicle by Norfolk Fire Rescue personnel,” reported ABC 13.

Hudson said the drivers of both vehicles were taken to a local hospital. Their injuries were considered not life threatening. The Town Car driver was later issued a summons for disregarding a red light.

Even when injuries are not reported to be life threatening, they can be serious. Recently we reported on how we helped a man in his 20s who suffered brain damage when he was hit by a red light runner in Virginia Beach. While all cases are different and we cannot guarantee the same result in another case, we were able to negotiate an $815,000 settlement for this young man in mediation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) reports that red-light running caused 762 deaths in 2008. Every year as many as 165,000 people are injured by red-light runners. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that half of the people killed in red-light running crashes are not the red light runners. They are drivers and pedestrians hit by red-light runners.

There are many reasons for red light running ranging from inattentive driving to being distracted by a cell phone or being drunk at the wheel. Some Hampton Roads cities now have red light enforcement cameras that will issue citations to red light runners. They can be found at key intersections in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk and Newport News.

Our Norfolk car accident injury lawyers welcome any measures to stop people running red lights. If you have been injured by a red light runner or any other at-fault driver, call Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers at 757.455.0077 for a free consultation.