Four South County children were struck by a car this morning as they walked to school. According to a statement released by the school district, the kids were all students of the Bayless School District, and were, in fact, two pairs of brothers. The students range in age from grades 2 through 10.
At the time of the collision, all four boys were walking on the sidewalk, obeying all traffic signals, and almost at their school when a motorist lost control of his car, ramped onto the sidewalk, and struck all four boys. All it takes is one moment of lapsed attention to turn a daily walk to school into a day spent suffering in the hospital.
I’ve mentioned before that car “accidents” don’t exist. Distracted drivers make a conscious choice to answer a phone, to look out the window, to discipline their children. Their attention is not where is should be, and they lose control of their vehicle. People these days drive so much and so often that they forget what they are actually doing is operating a two-ton machine. With every decision, with every second at the wheel, they are holding their passengers’, the surrounding pedestrians,’ and their own life in their hands. Auto collisions are the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States today.
The next time you’re cruising down the highway, changing the radio, and telling your kids to quiet down, remember that you’re balancing your life on four tires no wider than a sheet of paper. My high school driving instructor made that analogy, and remembering it has always helped me to be a cautious and vigilant driver.
A pedestrian accident like this morning’s is even more appalling when you consider that the motorist was likely on his morning commute. He has probably driven that road near the school campus hundreds of times and was perfectly aware that there were children around. Even in the surprise snow storm, his momentarily lapsed attention to the road (and those children) surely caused the collision, and four school boys were rushed to the nearest hospital with broken bones.
If you or your child has been the victim of a pedestrian accident in Missouri, contact the experienced pedestrian accident attorneys at Page Law, LLC today. Every claim is different, and a talented car accident lawyer can inform you of your rights, your legal options, and your medical options. Call Page Law today for a free consultation of your claim at (314) 241-2273 today. A live person will be available to take your call 24 hours a day.