Hit-and-Run Kills Pedestrian Near Laurel

Last night, a38-year-old man was killed and a woman was injured in a hit and run crash along the northbound lanes of the Baltimore Washington Parkway near Route 197. The victim is from Washington, D.C. and his identity has not been released yet.

Police are still investigating the cause of the accident, why the man and woman were walking on the Baltimore Washington Parkway, and the identity of the driver of the car. It is believed that once the vehicle struck the two pedestrians, it continued driving north on the parkway.

Unfortunately, thousands of pedestrians are killed each year in accidents and actually, the numbers have been increasing nationwide in recent years. 2010 data from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) placed Maryland as the seventh most dangerous state for pedestrians with 1.75 fatalities per 100,000 residents. However, the most recent statistics do not have Maryland ranked in the top ten for worst states for pedestrians. According to the NHTSA, nearly 3 out of 4 pedestrian deaths occur in urban environments, at intersections, during the nighttime. In addition, more than a third of pedestrian deaths involve alcohol.

The most important determining factor in a pedestrian accident case is whether the pedestrian was lawfully crossing the street at the time of the crash. In other words, was the pedestrian crossing the street against the signal, crossing outside the crosswalk, or texting while crossing, or was the pedestrian crossing with the “walk” signal and inside the crosswalk. Because Maryland is a contributory negligence state, if the victim pedestrian is negligent in any way, they cannot recover in a civil lawsuit.

If you or a family member has been injured or killed by a driver while crossing the street, contact Portner & Shure for a free legal consultation or if you would like more information on pedestrian accidents at (410) 995-1515 or visit us on the web.