Ottawa Pedestrian Accidents : Serious injuries and Fatalities

Recent pedestrian accidents in late November and early December have devastated several families as we approach the holiday season.

On Tuesday, November 30th, 2010 an elderly man using a walker was struck and fatally injured by a van while crossing Alta Vista near Dale Street.

On Wednesday, December 1, 2010,  a man in his 30s was rushed to hospital in critical condition Wednesday night after he was struck by a pickup truck while trying to cross Vanier Parkway at Donald Street.

On Friday, December 3rd a 40-year-old man was in critical condition after being hit by a car at Montreal Road and Highway 174.  He is reported as having suffered life-threatening head injuries.

Police are reminding pedestrians of the importance of crossing at crosswalks.  Motorists should also remember that pedestrians can be anywhere.  You must be driving in a way that you can see and react to any pedestrian on the road.

In terms of civil responsibility for a vehicle-pedestrian accident, there is an onus on the motorist to prove he or she was not negligent when a pedestrian was struck, even if the pedestrian was not at a cross-walk.  As the temperatures lower and walkers are taking short cuts to get out of the cold quickly,  drivers must be alert to darting pedestrians.

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