2 Auto-Pedestrian Accidents in Central Illinois on Same Day

As the weather begins to turn cooler, some drivers may get the impression that there aren't many pedestrians out on the roads. While the number of pedestrians might be smaller than that seen in the spring or summer months, drivers should still exercise the same amount of caution when traveling in Illinois.

This point was illustrated this past Thursday, when two different auto-pedestrian accidents occurred in central Illinois. Around 7am southeast of Bloomington, a 37-year old trash hauler was on the side of U.S. 150 picking up trash cans about a quarter-mile east of Towanda Barnes Road (near Downs). The man was struck by a car driven by a 62-year old Bloomington man, who was trying to pass the garbage truck. The victim, who lives in St. David, was rushed to a Bloomington hospital.

Then about 5pm in Urbana, a teenage girl was walking to basketball practice when she was hit by a car. The 15-year old was trying to cross South Vine Street at Fairlawn Drive (near Urbana Middle School) and was in a marked crosswalk at the time of the accident. The driver was a 45-year old assistant superintendent of the Urbana school district. Upon impact, the girl reportedly was tossed into the air and landed on the windshield of the Mazda Protégé. She was transported by ambulance to an Urbana hospital.

In the U.S. 150 accident, the victim was charged with failure to yield and the driver was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. The driver in the Urbana accident claims that he couldn't see the girl because it was too dark (even though the intersection is lighted by streetlights). But in both cases, it appears that the drivers will bear at least partial responsibility for the injuries sustained by their victims. That means that the victims could probably file personal injury lawsuits to obtain compensation for medical costs and other related expenses.