Washington D.C. — According to a report by NBC Washington, a woman is in critical condition after being hit by a dump truck in downtown Washington D.C. The accident took place at the intersection of 6th Street and Indiana Avenue, on Friday, June 6, 2014, around two in the afternoon.
According to reports, the victim, who hasn’t been identified, was in the middle of a crosswalk when she was hit by the truck. Witnesses say that the truck then backed up, hitting the woman again.
Nearby U.S. Marshals came to the woman’s aid and stayed with her until emergency workers arrived on the scene. The woman was taken to a nearby hospital. There’s been no update on her condition.
The accident is currently being investigated by the D.C. police Major Crash Unit.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
From what’s been reported in the media, the dump truck driver seems clearly at fault for the accident. And not just liable, but borderline incompetent at his job. First, he hits a woman walking through a crosswalk in what witnesses describe as an area with a high amount of foot traffic. Then, he backs up and hits the woman again. Already, I’ve got some questions. How much experience does this guy have driving these sorts of vehicles? Was he paying attention to the road? If not, what was he doing?
Yes, it’s possible that this woman darted out into the crosswalk at the last second and didn’t give the driver any time to react. Things like that have certainly happened in the pass and will continue to happen in the future. It just doesn’t sound like what happened here.
What happens next in this accident depends largely on whether or not the truck owned by a private company, or operated by the city. If a trucking company is involved, then they’re responsible for their employee’s actions, and need to make this right. It’s also important to point out that the driver hasn’t been cited or had charges filed against him or the accident. And it’s important to know that being cited or having charges filed against you isn’t the same as being held civilly liable. One doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the other. So it’s important for victim’s of these kind of accidents to know not to rest on their laurels.
— Grossman Law Offices
