Karen Koehler

View Original

How to NOT hit (and injure or kill) a pedestrian

Here are some tips from cases I've handled on how NOT to run down a pedestrian*.

  1. When the bus you are driving arrives at an intersection.  And comes to a stop.  And there are pedestrians already on the sidewalk curb getting ready to cross, wait your turn.  Let them cross.  They were there first.  Do not turn your head to look for oncoming traffic and begin to drive forward as they are walking in front of you.
  2. If you are an elderly driver, it is raining, dark and you have a bit of difficulty seeing.  And you are driving through a school zone with cross walk signs on every block.  And if there are children crossing the road in a marked crosswalk.  And even if they are wearing jeans and dark colored sweatshirts.  Then consider lifting your foot off the gas.  Maybe slow down.  Make an effort to apply the brakes.
  3. If you are late.  And driving a little fast.  And a woman is inside of a crosswalk almost to the other side of the street.  Then do not aim your vehicle at her and keep going.  By the way – afterwards when the police come, don’t make up a story.  Thinking you can get away with it because the woman will never be able to tell hers.  Eye witnesses and accident reconstructionists will do you in.
  4. When you are emerging from a parking garage downtown, remember that you are passing over a sidewalk before you get to the road.  This means you need to look both ways.  To see who is walking on the sidewalk that you are driving through.  This would have helped you to see the woman who is now under the right tire of your truck.
  5. If you are drunk you are not supposed to be driving.  You may think you are driving well.  But you are driving like crap.   Realize that you are going to go to jail for hitting the college kid who is crossing the street.
  6. If you are an alcoholic, drink the night before, and  get up early in the morning to drive your bus route, remember that you are still drunk.   You are not supposed to be driving.  When you run over a disabled man waiting to board the bus.  And feel the bump but disregard it.  And then drag him around town for miles and miles before the police arrest you,  Realize that you are going to go to jail.
  7. If you are holding your cel phone to your ear and talking on it.  And want to turn left at the light.  First you have to make sure that the light is green.  Then when you hit the person in the crosswalk, don’t try to lie and say that it is their fault.  Especially if there are four eye witnesses.

*Sometimes an unavoidable accident will happen.  But none of these were unavoidable.