A young teen who died in a Los Angeles car accident the evening of October 30, 2009 has been identified as 16-year-old Samantha Sandoval, according to an article in the Whittier Daily News. The pedestrian-car accident happened as Samantha was walking across Imperial Highway at Burgess Street in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County and was struck by a 74-year-old woman in a Toyota sedan. The car was heading west on Imperial Highway and doing about 35 mph when it hit the girl, California Highway Patrol officials said. She sustained serious injuries to the head and died a short while later at a hospital. The elderly woman driver was apparently not injured and had told officials that she did not see the teen crossing the street.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Samantha Sandoval for their terrible loss. She was clearly, based on the article, a remarkable person with an academic scholarship and a desire to accomplish many goals. This must be a huge blow to everyone who knew and loved this young woman. I offer my heartfelt condolences to them.

At this point we do not have any information on why the elderly driver did not see the person on the road and if there was anything that prevented her from having a clear view of that intersection. We do know however from this news account, the Los Angeles personal injury accident happened where a crosswalk or a traffic light did not exist. It is important to determine in these situations, if a dangerous condition existed that caused or contributed to this pedestrian fatality. The Sandoval family has certainly suffered a horrific loss. They deserve to know what exactly happened here.

Pedestrian right-of-way Issues

California has laws and very specific requirements of motorists approaching or entering a street intersection. According to California Vehicle Code Section 21950: "The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection." The same section also states that the driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk "shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of a vehicle or take any other action relating to the operating of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian."

Contacting A Knowledgeable Injury Attorney

An experienced Los Angeles personal injury attorney can provide invaluable assistance to victims and their families in serious or fatal injury car accidents. It is possible the motorist here was negligent or distracted and did not yield the right-of-way to the pedestrian. If the Toyota driver is found at-fault for causing this accident then a skilled car accident lawyer will help hold her fully accountable for her actions. If a previous or pre-existing and unsafe condition on the roadway such as a lack of signage, crosswalk or proper lighting is determined to be a factor in this tragic pedestrian accident then, a claim for compensation may be filed against the governmental agency responsible for maintaining that roadway.

We are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to "not a fault" persons named in this article and their family members.

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