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1 dead, dozens injured after motorist drives on crowded sidewalk

On Behalf of | Dec 29, 2015 | Auto-Pedestrian Accidents

New Jersey residents have probably heard about the motorist who drove down a sidewalk on the famous Las Vegas Strip on Dec. 20, leaving one dead and dozens injured. Initially, authorities were trying to determine if the incident was a purposeful act or an accident.

According to news reports, the incident occurred shortly before midnight when a female motorist, who was heading down the Las Vegas Strip near the Paris Las Vegas hotel, suddenly veered off the road and onto a sidewalk filled with people. Although the driver initially stopped her car at the Paris hotel intersection, she resumed driving on the sidewalk and then struck more pedestrians.

When they responded to the scene, rescue crews gave medical treatment to nearly 40 individuals. Those who witnessed the incident said the driver did nothing to stop her vehicle even after crashing into a number of pedestrians. Law enforcement officials then arrived at the scene and later detained the motorist after she turned herself in at another hotel not far from where the accident happened.

Because pedestrians walking on sidewalks near roadways have little to no protection if they are hit by a vehicle, the consequences can prove deadly. A pedestrian who survives may suffer severe and catastrophic injuries that may require hospitalization, surgery and years of rehabilitation. If they believe the driver involved was negligent, pedestrian accident victims may want to meet with a personal injury attorney in order to determine the most advisable method of seeking compensation from the at-fault motorist for the medical expenses, lost wages and other losses that have been sustained.

Source: CNN, “Las Vegas Strip sidewalk: Driver hits dozens of pedestrians in ‘intentional’ act”, Faith Karimi, Dec. 20, 2015

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