When you are driving a car and strike a pedestrian, it’s likely that you will be immediately aware of it. Usually car-pedestrian accidents cause damage to the vehicle, often rendering it unable to be driven.
But the same is not always true for drivers of large commercial trucks that collide with pedestrians. Unless the person is struck by the front bumper of the big rig where the truck driver can clearly see him or her, it’s possible that the driver may be completely unaware that a pedestrian got hit.
Such appears to be the case involving a recent fatality in Brooklyn. The accident happened on Wednesday, Jan. 18, shortly before 8:30 p.m.
A 47-year-old man driving a commercial car carrier eastbound on Caton Ave. struck the pedestrian, a woman who was also thought to be 40-something. The accident happened near Prospect Park by St. Paul’s Place.
The woman was attempting to cross Caton Ave. in the middle of the block approximately 35 feet away from the intersection. The car carrier’s right rear portion hit her, causing the truck’s rear wheels to roll over her, according to sources familiar with the case.
She died at the accident scene. The truck driver failed to stop. When detectives located the truck later, it was parked in a lot in Mill Basin on Mill Ave. The cars had been unloaded from the trailer.
Police questioned the driver, who reportedly had no clue that he had hit and killed a pedestrian. Although the police investigation is ongoing, no charges have been filed against the driver of the car carrier.
If you have been injured or have lost a loved one in a truck accident, you may be able to seek compensation from the driver, the trucking and other third parties. An attorney can help you determine your legal options.
Source: New York Daily News, “Truck driver who fatally struck woman in Brooklyn says he didn’t realize he hit her,” Rocco Paranscandola, Graham Rayman, Jan. 19, 2017