Hermine Boyadjian, a 79-year-old woman was critically injured in a Los Angeles car accident after she was struck by a speeding car while walking in a crosswalk on July 17, 2009. According to a news report in the Glendale News Press, the driver who struck Boyadjian, 22-year-old Mathew Diaz, initially fled the scene, but was later arrested and charged with felony hit-and-run. Peter Tsueda, 33, the registered owner of the car, and a passenger at the time of the car collision, was also arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to a crime.
My heart goes out to Hermine Boyadjian and her family. Apparently her husband, whom she had cared for as he suffered through kidney failure, had died the day she was struck. In fact, Boyadjian had just left the hospital and was headed home when she crossed Lexington Drive near Central Avenue where she was hit. Boyadjian's family is preparing for her husband's funeral even as she is in the hospital critically injured. Tragic! Please keep this family in your prayers. I hope Boyadjian recovers quickly and completely from her injuries.
I hope Mathew Diaz is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I commend the witnesses of this pedestrian accident who were able to provide the car's license plate to police. Apparently, both Diaz and his friend, Tsueda, went about their day as if nothing happened after striking and seriously injuring this woman. Tsueda allegedly went out to dinner with his roommates and Diaz went to a bar with friends. Despicable!
Los Angeles Pedestrian Accident Statistics
According to this news report, 84 pedestrian-related accidents including four fatalities occurred in Glendale in 2008. However, in 2007, there were 129 incidents. Officials say this year the number is on the rise again. This year in Glendale, so far, six more pedestrian-related accidents have occurred than in the same period last year.
In this case, there were some serious violations of California law. Based on this report, Diaz not only sped down the road and struck someone who was legally walking across the street in a marked crosswalk, but he also fled the pedestrian accident without stopping or rendering aid to the seriously injured victim, Boyadjian.
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."
California Vehicle Code section 20001 states: "The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident."
Consulting a Personal Injury Lawyer
Boyadjian and her family would be well-advised to retain the services of an experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer who will pursue the negligent parties in this case and make sure that the victims get fair compensation for their injuries, damages and loss. If Diaz lacks car insurance or sufficient insurance to cover the damages, then a knowledgeable accident lawyer will help Boyadjian seek compensation through the uninsured/underinsured motorist clause in her own insurance policy or any other policy she has benefits under.
A skilled California car accident lawyer will also look into whether a dangerous condition at that crosswalk or intersection caused or contributed to this pedestrian-car accident. If that was the case, the city of Glendale or the governmental agency in charge of maintaining that roadway could also be held liable for Boyadjian's injuries. Any claim against a governmental agency in California must be filed within 180 days of the accident or injury.
SLS Consulting