Park Ave. Pedestrian Accident Kills One, Injures Another
An older couple had just left a jazz concert and was looking for a cab back to their Upper East Side home when they were struck by an out of control car on Park Avenue. The 80-year old man, Rubin Baum, was killed and his wife was injured.
According to the NY Daily News, a 2000 Mazda sedan hit a minivan that happened to be transporting a Pakistani diplomat. The Mazda then lost control and went into a tailspin. It hit the Baum couple, sending Denise into a parked truck and running over Rubin.
With so many pedestrians always in motion in the city, pedestrian accidents are relatively common. But, the NYC Department of Transportation says the city is safer than other large cities in the country.
They say that for 2009, the last year for which their data is available, traffic fatalities were down 35%. They also say that pedestrians account for 52% of deaths in traffic accidents between 2005 and 2009.
This is simply due to the fact that pedestrians are not protected by a vehicle when an accident occurs. The revelation that “pedestrians are 10 times more likely to die than a motor vehicle occupant in the event of a crash,” is no shocking statistic.
When you choose to walk, you are at the mercy of NYC drivers. Sure, they will ideally stay on the street and avoid accidents with pedestrians. But a distracted driver or one who loses control can be a deadly weapon for people walking through the city.
If you’re in Manhattan, your risk is substantially worse. “Manhattan has four times as many pedestrians killed or severely injured per mile of street” when compared with other boroughs. And if you aren’t from the city, your risks are similarly elevated: “43% of pedestrians killed in Manhattan lived in other boroughs or outside of New York City.”
So, what can you do? As a pedestrian always exercise enough caution for yourself and for drivers. You never know when someone won’t be paying attention. And in the event of an accident, be prepared. There are laws designed to protect you and attorneys like those at Omrani & Taub ready to help.
