Pedestrian Accidents

June 29, 2009

Maryland Car Accident on I-70 Kills Two; Police Blame Illegal Street Racing

A Baltimore County car crash that left two young people dead and another in critical condition is believed to have been caused by illegal drag racing, authorities report.

Two bystanders were killed and two suffered personal injury last Sunday when one car crashed into another on the westbound side of Interstate 70. Witnesses reported that a crowd had gathered to watch drag racers on the eastbound side of I-70 where the highway abruptly ends. Police had been observing this little-used area of the highway, which is tempting to amateur street racers. Cars parked on the roadside began to leave when they spotted the police cruiser. According to news reports, that’s when a 2009 Chevy Impala struck the rear of a 2004 Chevy Cavalier.

The crash set off a chain reaction and two young bystanders on the shoulder of the road — a woman age 22 and a man age 20 — were struck and killed. A third bystander was struck and treated for serious personal injury and released, and a fourth was in critical condition at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

March 5, 2009

Maryland Teen Driver Safety and Accident Statistics

by Jeff Butschky

The AAA has a new report on the hazards of teen driving, not only for the young drivers behind the wheel but to their passengers, people in other cars, and pedestrians. The report states that in fatal auto accidents involving teenage drivers, the majority of people killed are passengers and others involved besides the young drivers themselves.

As Baltimore Maryland injury lawyers, my partners and I are aware of what can go wrong when a young driver makes a mistake in judgment or loses control when operating a motor vehicle. Some national statistics from the AAA report:

In the U.S. between 1998-2007, crashes with drivers aged 15 to 17 resulted in the deaths of 28,138 people.

February 19, 2009

Maryland Car Accident Emergency Responses Questioned after Fatal State Helicopter Crash

by Jeff Butschky

Have you ever been stopped in highway traffic while a medical helicopter lands to transport victims of a Maryland car crash to the hospital? It’s a heart-stopping sight, and we can only hope that the helicopter gets the victims to the hospital in time. Now Maryland lawmakers are reevaluating the state’s emergency medical services since a crash involving a state helicopter claimed four lives last fall.

The Maryland State Police medical helicopter program has been under scrutiny since a Sept. 27, 2008 crash killed four people in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The helicopter was on its way to a hospital 25 miles away when it was diverted to Andrews Air Force Base in foul weather and crashed — killing the pilot, a paramedic, a medical technician, and one of the car accident victims. An 18-year-old injured in the Charles County Maryland traffic accident survived the helicopter crash. Legislation is now being proposed that would separate Maryland law enforcement from rescue functions.

The subject of medical helicopter accidents has received national attention lately, as such accidents have been on the rise since the 1990s due in part to the closing of emergency rooms in rural areas and an aging US population. National and state safety officials are reconsidering whether some patients would be safer and just as well served by using regular ground ambulance transports. Triaging methods used by emergency responders are also being questioned.

November 21, 2008

Baltimore Jury Awards Woman $250,000 for Baltimore Beltway Construction Site Pedestrian Accident

by Jeff Butschky

A Baltimore County Circuit Court jury awarded a seriously injured woman $250,000 in damages after she was struck by a car while attempting to cross a Baltimore Beltway construction site on foot. The Maryland car accident that resulted in pedestrian Sandra Lee Meade being hit and seriously injured occurred at a construction site near the Baltimore Beltway on Dec. 3, 2003. Meade had parked her car on the southbound side of Westland Boulevard at Circle Drive in Baltimore, Maryland before planning to catch a bus to her job at the IRS. She was hit by a car while illegally crossing the street at a construction zone operated by Pennsylvania based general contractors Dick Corp.

The area where the pedestrian car accident occurred was under construction to widen the outer loop of the Baltimore Beltway, Route 695. Meade was crossing the intersection diagonally to catch a northbound bus when a car traveling south on Westland Boulevard struck her. The Maryland woman sustained lifelong brain and spinal cord injuries, and has been living in a nursing home since this terrible pedestrian car accident occurred. The driver was not named in the lawsuit, as the plaintiff’s family felt he was also a victim.

Ms. Meade’s attorney argued at trial that the general contractor failed to keep the area safe for pedestrians, citing poorly placed barriers and confusing line painting. The jury concluded, however, that because the Plaintiff was crossing the street illegally, they could not hold the Dick Corp. liable for any of her injuries.

November 15, 2007

Maryland State Police Trooper Not Charged In High Speed Pedestrian Collision

by Jeff Butschky

A Frederick County, Maryland prosecutor has indicated that charges will not be filed against Trooper Dale Derr in the November, 2006 death of pedestrian Randy Rakes. This despite an internal State Police investigation, concluding that Trooper Derr, 23, was driving 83 miles per hour on the shoulder of the road before he hit the 38-year-old Rakes, who died at the scene.

Rakes’ family has filed a $15.8 million civil lawsuit against both Trooper Derr and the Maryland State Police. In a final attempt to spur a more detailed and thorough investigation, attorney David Ellin of Baltimore City, has sent a letter directly to the offices of Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, asking him to intervene in the case. Ellin noted that the statute of limitations for civil charges is about to expire because the accident happened nearly a year ago.

The accident occurred near Rakes’ Finksburg, Maryland home, but the case was turned over to Frederick County, Maryland prosecutors due to the policy of the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office not to handle cases involving Carroll County law enforcement officers.