Boy Saves His Brother’s Life in Pedestrian Crash
Details from a recent pedestrian crash near Palomar College are becoming clearer, and authorities now say that one of the victims may have saved his brother’s life. Steven Manghram, 13, was walking with his younger brother Donovan, 12, to San Marcos Middle School. The two entered the crosswalk at Comet Circle East and Mission Road when Steven noticed something wrong, stopped and pushed his brother back. He said that a blue or black car came through the intersection going very fast, then a white one hit him, causing him to flip through the air and land on his face. He was airlifted to Rady Children’s Hospital while his brother, who suffered only minor injuries, was transported to Palomar Medical Center.
Police believe that Steven may have saved Donovan’s life by pushing him back from the speeding cars. Steven is also helping the investigation by making it very clear that there were two cars running through the intersection, not one as was formerly believed. The 17-year-old driver of the white car says that the sun blinded him so that he could not see the traffic signal. Drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a factor.
Pedestrian Crashes in San Diego
San Diego has become one of the most dangerous places in the country for pedestrians. In 2011, San Diego’s rate of pedestrian fatalities was more than twice the national average, with 4.9 deaths for every 100,000 people living in the city. San Diego is one of 22 cities nationwide being targeted for an improvement in pedestrian death rates. These measures include not only education and higher levels of enforcement for drivers who may be violating pedestrian rights; the new initiatives will also target the pedestrians themselves. Experts note that the advent of cell phones, texting and using headphones to listen to music has coincided with the increase in pedestrian fatalities, pointing to the possibility that pedestrians are contributing to their own accidents by inattentiveness while walking.
However, it is important to remember that pedestrians, whether they are inattentive or not, are always at a disadvantage in a collision with a vehicle. Therefore, vehicle drivers are required to exercise a high level of care when there are pedestrians in the area. The fact that a pedestrian violated a “Walk” signal may not excuse the driver from liability in the crash.
If you have been injured in a pedestrian crash, no matter what the circumstances, contact Daniel M. Gilleon, a personal injury attorney in San Diego, today.
