Authorities in Shasta County have identified a 36-year-old pedestrian killed in a car accident the evening of March 8, 2010, as Kelly Jean McCoy. According to a news report in The Record Searchlight, McCoy was crossing East Street at the intersection of Placer Street, in Redding, when an SUV driven by 45-year-old Barbara Meyer hit her. The accident occurred as Meyer attempted a left turn onto East from Placer. Police are still looking into whether McCoy was in a crosswalk at the time of the collision. Meyer has not been cited or arrested pending a police investigation.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Kelly Jean McCoy for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep this grieving family in your prayers.

Pedestrian Accident Statistics

There were four deaths and 24 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Redding, in 2008, according to California Highway Patrol's traffic accident statistics. In Shasta County as a whole, six people died and 35 were injured as a result of pedestrian accidents, during that year.

Crosswalk Law

This report states that officials are yet to determine if McCoy was crossing in a crosswalk. If she was crossing legally, then Meyer would have been at fault for failing to yield right-of-way to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. California Vehicle Code Section 21950 states: "The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection." The same section also states that the driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk "shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of a vehicle or take any other action relating to the operating of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian."

Fault and Liability

If I were a member of McCoy's family, I would also want to know whether there was a dangerous condition at that Redding intersection that prevented Meyer from seeing the pedestrian on the roadway. If that was the case, then the city or governmental agency responsible for maintaining that roadway could be held liable. Please remember that any claim against a California governmental agency must be filed within 180 days of the accident or injury. An experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer will be able to help victims and their families pursue possible claims in such cases, and make sure that the negligent parties are held accountable.

We are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to "not a fault" persons named in this article and their family members.