Pedestrian safety in Halifax is being questioned after a woman was struck while driving a motorized scooter across Thistle Street in Dartmouth. The collision happened at about 11 a.m. on May 3 as a pickup truck driver was turning onto the street from Victoria Road. The 57-year-old woman was transported to hospital, where she died later that evening. The police investigation is ongoing, and authorities did not say whether they will file charges against the pickup truck driver.
More than 75 pedestrian accidents have already occurred in Halifax this year, and two of those accidents involved wheelchair users. This is the first incident of the year that involves a motorized scooter as well as the first fatality in a pedestrian accident.
Reporters spoke to a resident who says that he stops his motorized scooter one metre from the curb while he waits to cross streets. He says that a vehicle would clip him if he stopped at the edge of the curb because the cars go by so fast. The man has had several near misses and is concerned about safety each time he crosses the road.
The surviving immediate family members of the woman may be entitled to wrongful death compensation. If the executor for the woman does not bring an action against the driver after six months, the survivors may do so themselves. The potential compensation could help the survivors recover the cost of travel expenses while visiting the woman before her death, the funeral, the burial and other out-of-pocket expenses. The survivors may also receive compensation for loss of income and services and for loss of companionship, guidance and care.
Source: CBC News, “Fatal scooter accident raises questions on pedestrian safety“, May 05, 2014
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