Tragic, Fatal Accident in Rodanthe, North Carolina

70-Year-Old Tragically Dies in Rodanthe, North Carolina after being Struck by a Fire Engine Pickup Truck

RODANTHE, NC – According to an online news report at wavy.com, a 70-year-old man has tragically perished after being hit by a fire department pickup truck in Rodanthe, North Carolina.*

Per the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, the accident occurred close to Corbina Drive in the mid-afternoon hours.

The truck was in the process of exiting the beachfront access at the time of the accident.  Due to the impact of the crash, the woman died at the scene of the accident.  

There are no further details on the accident at this time.  The crash remains under investigation by the local police.  

Pedestrian Accidents Are Becoming Increasingly More Common

According to an online news report issued at wral.com, deadly accidents involving pedestrians have increased dramatically across the county, per a study issued by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).  Specifically, pedestrian fatalities have increased by almost 50% since reaching a low point back in 2009.  The IIHS analyzed pedestrian accident data between 2009 and 2016.

Researchers were able to determine that most pedestrian accidents occur on urban and suburban roads and outside of crosswalks.  Specifically, they are occurring away from intersections where there are no crosswalks. The accidents typically occur at night when it is dark outside.

Deadly accidents have also increased by 80% involving sports utility vehicles, which represents the greatest increase for any other type of automobile.  "SUVs have higher, and often more vertical, designs, which results in them striking a pedestrian in the head or chest area," said the president of the IIHS. "Changing the front-end design of SUVs could result in lowering the risks of hurting a pedestrian when they are struck."

The IIHS further provides that technology to prevent crashes in vehicles, most sophisticated headlights and better lighting of roadways can help decrease the amount of pedestrian accidents.  The IIHS also supports the use of speed cameras to enforce the local speed limit.

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.wavy.com/news/north-carolina/obx/70-year-old-killed-after-being-run-over-by-fire-department-pickup-truck-in-rodanthe/ and https://www.wral.com/deadly-crashes-involving-cars-pedestrians-on-rise-across-country-study-finds/17539095/