A 74-year-old woman has died after an accident in Lakewood Ranch in early November.
According to police, the accident occurred on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard at about 9:30 a.m. A 2017 Nissan Titan was traveling north on Health Park Way when the 50-year-old driver made a left turn onto Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. The driver apparently did not see the woman as she was crossing the street.
The woman was transported to Doctors Hospital of Sarasota, where she later passed away. The Florida Highway Patrol continues to investigate and has not released any additional information regarding how the accident transpired or who was primarily at fault.
Drivers must watch for pedestrians
Per state law, drivers must always yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk or who otherwise have the right of way. Even when pedestrians are not in a crosswalk or are crossing the street illegally, drivers still must slow down or avoid a collision if they have an opportunity to do so. Pedestrians may share blame in some instances, but rarely will they be considered totally at fault.
Florida remains the worst state in the nation for pedestrian accidents, and fatalities are at their highest rates in about a decade. More than 5,000 people in the state died in these accidents between 2004 and 2014. Overall, Americans are about seven times to die in a pedestrian accident than they are a natural disaster.
For the guidance and advice you need after a serious accident, work with a skilled Bradenton personal injury lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.