Early on Tuesday morning, a San Francisco jogger was critically injured when a car struck him. ABC News Channel Seven reported that the incident happened at about 5:36 a.m. near the area of Post and Hyde Streets. Although very little information has been released about this incident, we do know that the jogger was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. Initial witness reports indicate that the driver involved may have run a red light prior to hitting the jogger. That driver did stop and cooperate with law enforcement on the scene.
Safety for Joggers and Pedestrians
Joggers and pedestrians don’t have the same level of safety as drivers in traditional cars and trucks. They don’t have seat belts. They aren’t encased in steel, and they don’t have airbags. Unlike many cyclists, they don’t even have the benefit of a helmet. If a car strikes a pedestrian, even at relatively low speeds, the collision can cause severe, catastrophic or even fatal injuries. The human body is simply not equipped to take on a full size (or even compact, for that matter) automobile, at any speed.
Pedestrian Injuries by The Numbers
• 4,735 pedestrians were killed in crashes in 2013.
• In 2013, an estimated 66,000 pedestrians were injured in crashes.
• On average, a pedestrian was killed every two hours and injured every eight minutes in 2013.
• 26 percent of pedestrian fatalities occurred from 6:00 to 8:59 p.m. in 2013.
• In 2013, 21 percent of the children, ages from birth to 14 years old, killed in traffic crashes were pedestrians.
• More than two-thirds of the pedestrians killed in crashes in 2013 were males.
Pedestrian Accidents in San Francisco
Pedestrians, joggers and cyclists have just as much of a right to be on the road as other motorists. If drivers are distracted or engaging in aggressive driving maneuvers, they’re putting everybody on the road at great risk for injury causing or potentially fatal accidents. If you or somebody you love has been injured in a car accident, contact the experienced lawyers at Alexander Law Group, LLP at 888.777.1776 for a free case consultation today.
