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Redding Pedestrian Accident Kills Woman

A pedestrian accident in Redding has killed a female employee of the Shasta County Sheriffs’ Office, Redding.com reports. The woman, 53-year-old Linda Runyon, was killed on Wednesday afternoon when she was crossing the road in a marked crosswalk.

According to the news report, Runyon was walking with her friend Lori Beyelia. As they were crossing, the two were struck by a pickup truck. The truck was being driven by 61-year-old Susan Degen. Redding police are investigating the causes of the pedestrian accident.

For Runyon’s family, this is undoubtedly a moment of great pain, and we extend our deepest sympathies for their loss.

Early reports have said that the lights at the intersection were green. However, as a pedestrian, Runyon and her friend had the right of way. According to police at the scene of the accident, Degen did not see the pedestrians until it was too late. This crash occurred in broad daylight – how it possible that the driver did not see two women crossing in a marked crosswalk? There is no information yet on the speed of the car, and we can expect full investigations to give us more answers.

If it turns out that Degen was negligent in her driving, it wouldn’t be the first time that a pedestrian has paid the price for a motorist’s rashness or carelessness. Runyon was doing nothing wrong at the time of the pedestrian accident. She was walking in a marked crosswalk, when the “walk” sign was on. In short, she was apparently following all the rules of the road. Unfortunately, as it happens so often, pedestrians may be following all the rules, but end up suffering the short end of the stick when they are involved in an accident. When there is a collision between a car and a pedestrian, there is simply no contest. Without the protective armor of a car, pedestrians suffer severe injuries and as in Runyon’s case, even death.

Too often drivers refuse the right of way to pedestrians as seems to have occurred in this case. Besides, motorists often willfully disregard traffic rules and fail to stop at stop signals or intersections. Speeding is another reason so many pedestrians are killed or injured each year in accidents. A speeding driver is unable to stop the car in time to avoid any pedestrian who may be unlucky enough to cross the street at that very moment.

When a pedestrian is involved in an accident, severe injuries can result. Because the impact is very likely to throw the person off the ground, and several feet away from the site of the accident, major head and body trauma are almost always seen in such crashes. Injuries include head and brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, severed limbs and amputations, and neurological damage.

These severe injuries can not only require intensive hospitalization, but also leave a person with long-term health effects and a reduced ability to function properly after the pedestrian accident. In such a case, pedestrians have the right to seek compensation from the driver. The Runyon family must see the counsel of an experienced California pedestrian accident attorney to explore their options.

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.

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