An accident involving a pedestrian and a vehicle demonstrates once again the hazard that pedestrians face and the need for drivers to be constantly aware of their surroundings. On Monday, March 18, 2013, at about 7:00am a man ran in front of a Honda Odyssey minivan. According to Officer Mike Jockers of St. Petersburg police, the driver was attempting to make a right turn onto 38th Avenue N off of Martin Luther King Jr. St., S. The minivan slammed into the man who was then thrown off and pinned under the car. Jockers also reported that witnesses stated that the driver had a green light but there was no way he could avoid hitting the pedestrian. The pedestrian was taken to Bayfront Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
According to the latest statistics available from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), in 2011 nearly 500 pedestrians died as a result of being hit by a motor vehicle, and 6194 pedestrians suffered injuries. Such numbers point out the need for extreme caution whether you are on foot or behind the wheel of a car or truck.
