Salt Lake City, UT — A 5-year old girl was hospitalized after she was struck by the side-view mirror of a passing car in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday, March 14, 2015.
The accident took place near 500 North Colorado Street, near 1340 West, around 1:30 in the afternoon. According to reports, Martinez had been riding her scooter, and fell between two vehicles. She then got up and attempted to cross the street to reach her father and was hit by a passing car.
Police believe that Martinez and the driver of the car, identified only as a 22-year old woman, never saw each other. Martinez was taken to Primary Children’s Hospital and was listed in critical condition.
Officials have said that the speed limit in the area is listed as 25 mph, although it’s unclear how fast the vehicle was traveling at the time. It’s still not clear whether or not the driver will be cited for the crash.
Approximate Scene of the Accident
Commentary
Accidents like this often come down to a matter of timing. There will always be circumstances in which a driver just doesn’t have any time to react. The law realizes that and makes allowances for it. However, there are also instances in which the driver does have time to react, but doesn’t because they aren’t paying proper attention to the road. In those instances, a driver can beheld responsible.
If the driver involved in this accident was speeding at the time, then that could change things somewhat. Anyone involved in an accident like this is going to be hurt, but you have to start looking at the extent of those injuries, and if they would have been less extensive had the vehicle been traveling the speed limit. As far as this accident’s been reported, it’s not clear if the driver was speeding, so it’s possible that this wouldn’t even be an issue. But it’s something that should be looked at.
— Grossman Law Offices
