Cook County a deadly place for pedestrians
Illinois experienced 125 pedestrian deaths in 2013. Cook County was the location for 53 of those fatalities.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration maintains details information about traffic accidents around the nation. Its records show that 991 people died in motor vehicle accidents in 2013. Cook County was the location of 251 of those deaths. Moreover, 125 of the 991 statewide fatalities were pedestrians. Out of the 125 pedestrians that died, 53 of them lost their lives in Cook County.
To further understand how serious these numbers are, one only need look at the corresponding data in other counties around Illinois. Winnebago County had the second most number of pedestrian fatalities that year. A total of 11 pedestrians were killed in automobile accidents compared to 53 in Cook County.
Multiple news reports confirm the stark realities
It takes but a moment to conduct an online search that returns multiple stories about serious pedestrian accidents in Illinois. Following is an overview of some recent incidents:
- A 52-year old pedestrian and a 27-year old motorcyclist both died when the motorcycle driver struck the pedestrian. The Chicago Tribune report indicates that both people were from Plainfield. The accident shut down Illinois Route 59 for several hours. Speed was believed to have been a contributing factor in the deadly crash.
- Another pedestrian died in McHenry on a Thursday evening also after being hit by a motorcycle. In this crash, the Chicago Sun-Times notes that a driver and passenger on the motorcycle were taken to a local hospital for treatment but no details on their condition were available. An investigation was launched to learn more about the cause of the wreck.
- A Chicago Tribune story told of a deadly scene in which a Chicago Transit Authority bus killed a pedestrian in Canaryville. The accident occurred on a Monday night. No further details are known about how the bus came to hit the pedestrian.
- A 23-year old driver of a semi-tractor truck was ticketed for not using appropriate care related to a pedestrian. His truck hit and killed a 62-year old woman on a Friday morning in the Belmont Cragin area according to the Chicago Sun-Times article.
Clearly, pedestrians are at risk of being injured or killed from any type of vehicle from a motorcycle to a large commercial truck.
Staying safe and getting help are important
Utilizing designated crosswalks, wearing bright clothing, following traffic signs and more are all some ways that pedestrians can improve their safety on the road. However, some accidents are simply not able to be avoided, leaving foot traffic highly vulnerable.
When these accidents happen, victims or their surviving family members should always seek the help of an attorney.
Keywords: pedestrian, accident, injury