• 24
  • January
    2012

A Curie High School student was taken to Mount Sinai after being struck by a truck over the lunch hour. The 18-year-old suffered serious injuries in the truck crash. He reportedly was pinned beneath the semi-truck and possibly drug at least a short distance.

While little is currently known about the cause of this truck-pedestrian accident, Chicago pedestrian injury lawyers see these types of accidents all too often. When a person on foot, or a person on two wheels for that matter, is hit by a car, bus, truck or train, serious and catastrophic injury is likely, based on the sheer size difference and the lack of protection around a pedestrian or cyclist.

The City of Chicago conducted a Pedestrian Crash analysis in 2011 to identify safety issues and improvement plans for those on foot throughout the city. The study included all pedestrian-car crashes that occurred throughout Chicago from 2005 to 2009. In 2009, the report noted that the city was at a nine-year low, with over 3,000 pedestrian crashes. As the family and friends of this Curie High School student are likely thinking, even one pedestrian acccident is way too many.

Further Results of the Chicago Pedestrian Crash Study

Children between 5 and 18 are more likely to be involved in a pedestrian crash in Chicago, according to the study. High school students between the ages of 15 and 18 were the most likely to be involved in a pedestrian crash and were also the most likely to suffer serious or fatal injuries as a result.

Walking in Chicago's Central Business District (CBD) is more likely to end in a vehicle-pedestrian crash than any other spot in the city. Surprisingly, those who cross the street in a crosswalk while the walk signal is lit are more likely to be hit by a car than others who do not use crosswalks or disobey the walk signs.

The Chicago Pedestrian Plan aims use the results of the study to lower the number of pedestrian accidents on Chicago's streets and sidewalks, claiming that "the best way to see Chicago is as a pedestrian." Making the streets safer for everyone on foot -- from young to old -- is a key component of the Chicago Department of Transportation's mission to make "Chicago the most-pedestrian-friendly city in the country." And it may help save the lives of many Chicago residents and tourists alike.

Source: NBC Chicago, "Teen Struck By Semi Near Curie HS," 24 January 2012