This blog has written at length about the recent rash of auto-pedestrian accidents that have occurred in the valley. In response to these tragedies, authorities in North Las Vegas decided to do something about it.
On Tuesday, the North Las Vegas Police Department conducted a sting operation at two crosswalks in the city. First, undercover cops were positioned at the intersection of Ferrell Street and Craig Road; and then the operation was moved to where Bent Arrow Drive intersected Camino Eldorado. The latter location is where a six-year old girl died and two other young girls were injured when an elderly woman’s car struck them while they were in a marked crosswalk. Altogether, the operation netted about 140 crosswalk-related citations.
Though the breakdown of tickets wasn’t released, North Las Vegas focused primarily on two offenses: vehicles entering crosswalks when pedestrians were still inside the crosswalks, and pedestrians stepping into crosswalks when they did not have the right of way (i.e., jaywalking). And while there’s no information about whether these sting operations will continue, city officials stress that they are trying to increase awareness about crosswalks and pedestrian safety throughout the city.
As a driver, if you strike a pedestrian who is inside a marked crosswalk, you could be held liable for the injuries (or death) sustained by the victim. As a result, you could be named as a defendant in a personal injury (or wrongful death) lawsuit and ordered to pay significant damages. So be sure and take the few extra seconds to slow down or stop for people in crosswalks. You could prevent a terrible auto-pedestrian accident.