FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — A child was seriously hurt after a delivery truck accident in Fairfax County, Virginia on Wednesday, October 1st, 2014. Washington Post’s news article said the accident happened around 5:30 Wednesday evening.
An unidentified 6-year-old boy was seriously hurt when he was struck by a delivery truck in the 9300 block of Mount Vernon Circle. Authorities think that the boy rode his scooter onto the street when he was hit by the passing delivery truck.
A helicopter transported the boy to Inova Fairfax Hospital where he was being treated for serious injuries.
Local police are still investigating, and hope to release more information about the accident in the coming days.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary:
The main question I have with this accident centers around the speed limit. What was the speed limit on this road? Well the number on the speed limit sign doesnt really matter. Why? Because you need to go as slow as conditions dictate. I see on the map that this is a circular road, meaning drivers don’t have a clear line of sight directly ahead of them for a significant distance. Sounds like a good reason to slow down, right? On top of that, the accident happened in a neighborhood, and neighborhoods generally mean lots of kids, especially at 5:30 just after school lets out. Doesn’t this seem like another good reason to slow down and keep an eye out? Did the child have the lawful right to be in the street when he was hit? Maybe, maybe not, but kids dont have the capacity to make these kinds of judgment calls, and adults do – and professional drivers are required to exercise good judgment. It doesn’t exactly take a vivid imagination to think that the driver may have been going to fast, when ultimately, the truck should have been going slow enough that it can stop or swerve if a kid runs out into its path.
— Grossman Law Offices
