Edna Virginia Martinez De Cedillo, 45, was fatally injured in a San Diego car accident as she was crossing a street in Rancho Bernardo, California. According to a news report in the North County Times, the woman's family was with her at the time of the fatal pedestrian accident, which occurred the evening of November 25, 2009. Martinez De Cedillo was walking across the street at the 15800 block of Pomerado Road when she was hit. No one else was injured in this collision. San Diego police say the driver involved in this accident has not been cited or arrested and that alcohol or drugs are not a factor.
I offer my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Edna Virginia Martinez De Cedillo for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. My heart goes out to the members of her family who apparently witnessed this fatal accident. Please keep them in your prayers.
San Diego Pedestrian Accident Statistics
In the city of San Diego, 25 deaths and 575 injuries occurred as a result of pedestrian accident cases in 2007, according to California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). In San Diego County as a whole, 51 people died and 1,068 were injured due to pedestrian accidents in 2007. Also, in San Diego County, car accidents claimed 268 lives and caused 14,641 injuries during the same year.
Based on this news report, it is not clear whether Martinez De Cedillo was crossing the street in a crosswalk or at an intersection. California law states that vehicles are required to yield right-of-way to pedestrians who are walking in a marked/unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.
California Car Accident Laws
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."
I trust officials are also looking into other factors such as, whether the driver was distracted or traveling at a high rate of speed. In these types of serious or fatal injury cases, victims' families would be well-advised to retain the services of an experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer, who will keep abreast of the official investigation, and make sure that their rights are protected. If a dangerous condition on the roadway caused or contributed to this fatal accident, the city or governmental agency responsible for maintaining the roadway could also be held liable. Please remember that any claim against a California governmental agency must be filed within six months of the accident or injury.
The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is 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 us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.
SLS Consulting
chris said:
Is anything being done to help the family of Edna Virginia Martinez De Cedillo from a civil - monetary standpoint at this time?
Joyce said:
Attempts are being made to contact them regarding this.