A teenager, who was on her way to school early morning on December 8, 2009, was critically injured in a Los Angeles car accident after she was hit by a pickup truck while crossing the street. According to a news report in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the pedestrian-car collision occurred on Gladstone Street near Enid Avenue in Azusa, California. Azusa police say the girl was not walking in a crosswalk and that it was still dark out. The 44-year-old driver of the work truck was traveling within the speed limit and is not expect to face any charges.

I deeply sympathize with the family of this 16-year-old girl who has apparently suffered catastrophic injuries in this car accident. Authorities are not even certain if she will make it though her injuries. I will pray for her not only to make it through these critical injuries, but for her to make a complete recovery. This young victim and her family will certainly be in my prayers.

Pedestrian Accidents in Los Angeles

According to California Highway Patrol's traffic accident statistics, 19 people were injured as a result of pedestrian accidents in Azusa in 2007. In Los Angeles County, pedestrian accidents claimed 210 lives and caused 5,095 injuries during the same year. Countywide, 712 deaths and 56,475 injuries were reported as a result of car accidents in 2007.

If the details in this news article are accurate, the girl was not walking in a crosswalk at the time of the collision. Still, I wonder whether there was a dangerous condition on the roadway, which may have in some way contributed to this accident or even caused it. Why was the driver not able to see the girl going across the road and stop in time to avoid a collision? Was there a crosswalk at that location? Were the street lights at that location functioning at the time of this accident?

The Issue of Negligence

I trust officials are also looking into whether there was any inattention or negligence on the part of the motorist. One of the victim's family friends states on the newspaper's Web site that the motorist did not have his headlights turned on at the time of the accident. If that information is accurate, the teenager would not have been able to see the truck at the time.

The victim's family in this case would be well-advised to consult with a reputed Los Angeles personal injury lawyer, who will be able to analyze this accident, make a careful assessment of the police report and help determine whether there was any negligence involved here.

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.