Pedestrian Tragically Dies in a Fatal Hit-and-Run Accident in Okaloosa County, Florida
OKALOOSA COUNTY, FL – According to an online news report at wjhg.com, a pedestrian tragically died and a suspect is facing numerous charges after leaving the scene of the accident that occurred earlier this week.*
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 48-year-old man was heading east on United States Highway 90 close to Hare Street located in Okaloosa County when he did not see a 71-year-old man who was in the process of crossing the roadway. Troopers indicate that the driver hit the 71-year-old and failed to stop. The 71-year-old sustained fatal injuries in the crash.
Eyewitnesses at the scene of the accident contacted the police and gave them a description of the vehicle that fatally struck the man. The suspect was ultimately captured and brought to a local detention center. He is facing several charges, including leaving the scene of an accident with injuries, failing to register a vehicle, and driving with a revoked or suspended license.
Pedestrian accidents are caused by a variety of factors. Per the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS, the following are the causes and conditions that result in pedestrian accidents and fatalities:
- Pedestrian accidents typically involve sports utility vehicles and high horsepower vehicles.
- Most crashes occur at night when there is reduced visibility.
- Pedestrian accidents are more likely to occur in suburban and urban areas.
- Pedestrian accidents are most likely to occur outside of designated crosswalks, such as at an intersection.
- Pedestrian accidents often occur on busy, arterial roadways.
- Contributing factors to pedestrian accidents are “road design, vehicle design and speed limit enforcement.”
Although the above factors were identified by the IIHS, there are additional causes of pedestrian accidents which include, without limitation:
- Driving while fatigued
- Driving while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs
- Driving while distracted
- Going at an excess rate of speed
- Failing to obey street signs including stop signs
- Not coming to a complete stop at intersections or crosswalks
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.
Source:https://www.wjhg.com/content/news/Pedestrian-dead-man-charged-after-fatal-hit-and-run-in-Okaloosa-County-560658061.html