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Fatal Corona Pedestrian Accident Leads to Safety Campaign

Two years ago, 55-year-old Charlie Wolcott was struck on a Corona street as he was crossing on a crosswalk. Walcott was not in the wrong, and authorities believe that the motorist who struck him ignored the crosswalk. Walcott barely survived the accident, and remains in a coma at a Corona hospital.

According to PE.com, since this accident, his sister Dianne Ward has taken up crosswalk education. According to her brother, he had done nothing wrong on the day of the pedestrian accident that so severely injured him. He had waited until the cars were stopped in both directions before he entered the street. One lane was open, and as Walcott passed the stopped car, another motorist drove around the stopped cars, striking the pedestrian. According to Ward, her brother didn’t have a driver’s license and preferred to walk everywhere. Since the accident, Ward says she has felt a strong urge to create awareness about pedestrian rights and bring about a change in motorist behavior.

She spoke with the Corona police, and got them to agree to schedule a crosswalk operation a year after the accident that injured Walcott. Now, Corona police conduct crosswalk operations about two to three times a year. Police officers in plainclothes patrol the city’s biggest intersection to look for motorists who ignore pedestrian rules. The most recent such enforcement took place on the 16th of July. 41 tickets were handed out for crosswalk violations over an enforcement that lasted for more than 5 hours. Last year’s crosswalk operation resulted in 52 citations.

Ward, who now lives in Hawaii, traveled to Corona to thank police for their crosswalk enforcement. Ward says her dream is to establish a non-profit pedestrian safety awareness organization that would spread education about the cause.

Lack of awareness or disregard for pedestrian safety rules is easily the biggest cause of pedestrian accidents. More accidents are caused when motorists fail to yield the right of way, display aggressive behavior towards the pedestrian and are distracted while driving with serious consequences for a pedestrian.

Motorist must always

• Follow pedestrian safety rules to avoid accidents.
• Always look for pedestrians especially when you near a marked crosswalk.
• Pay special attention near intersections.
• Drive carefully in areas where there is heavy pedestrian traffic, like near schools and college campuses.
• Always look carefully for pedestrians at night when they are not so easily visible.
• Look for pedestrians in poor weather.
• Strictly Follow all pedestrian safety rules, including those related to a pedestrian’s right of way.
• When cars are stopped ahead of you, don’t attempt to drive around them.

Pedestrians too can reduce their chances of being involved in the accident.

• Take care to cross the road only in a marked crosswalk.
• Always pay attention to traffic around you while walking on the street.
• Avoid distractions like cell phone use or listening to i-Pods.
• As far as possible, avoid walking in the dark, and if you have to, wear reflective or brightly colored clothing.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of pedestrian accidents. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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