Car Strikes Pedestrian in Albany, Georgia

ALBANY, GA- Walb.com writes that a vehicle struck a pedestrian earlier this week in Albany. The crash took place in the evening at the intersection of Dawson Road and North Westover Boulevard.* 

An ambulance transported the victim, described as a man in his early forties, to the Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. Reports indicate that the victim suffered severe injuries in the incident. 

In 2018, Georgia saw a decline in traffic deaths, but a sharp rise in pedestrian fatalities. According to reports, last year marked the highest number of pedestrian fatalities in the United States in 28 years, and the trend across the country mirrors that which is happening in Georgia. Thirty-two more people died in Georgia in pedestrian incidents in 2018 than in 2017. 

While everyone agrees that pedestrian deaths are increasing, there is some discrepancy as to what is driving the high number of fatal accidents. Smartphones, which distract both drivers as well as people walking, take at least some of the blame. With so much of our lives taking place in a digital space, we might be failing to pay attention to the real world around us. 

Phones are not the only cause, though. Strong evidence indicates that larger cars are also making the roads more dangerous. SUVs or light trucks are more dangerous for pedestrians than sedans. While sedans often strike a person in his or her legs or the lower part of that person's body, SUVs hit a victim's torso, or even his or her head. The resulting injuries are more likely to be fatal.

Population growth and more people choosing to walk may also be leading to the uptick. Regardless of the cause, governments, safety advocates, and car manufacturers are all looking for solutions to reduce the number of these tragedies.

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:https://patch.com/georgia/atlanta/georgia-pedestrian-deaths-spike-2018-report and https://www.walb.com/2019/11/28/pedestrian-hit-albany-intersection/