Recently, a 19-year-old Raleigh, North Carolina man was hit and injured by a van while crossing Capital Blvd to catch a city bus. The pedestrian victim, Rayshawn Lee Cooper, has been listed in critical condition at WakeMed with no prognosis of recovery as of this writing.
According to Raleigh police, Cooper stepped onto a southbound Capital Area Transit bus at the New Hope Church Road bus stop around 9 a.m asking the driver if he had the correct bus. The bus driver told him he needed the northbound bus which was approaching the stop on the other side of the street at that moment.
Raleigh Capital Area Transit Map
Subsequently, Cooper hopped off and attempted to cross the road and catch the right bus when a van struck him causing severe trauma/personal injuries landing him in critical condition at the nearby hospital. The driver of the van, Andy Thien Tran, 48, is listed as having a Raleigh, North Carolina address. It took crews awhile to clear things up. In fact, 3 of the 4 southbound lanes on Capital Boulevard were blocked and traffic was backed up for hours.
If you are driving on busy roads its important to follow on the side of caution and drive defensively at all times. Avoid distracting behavior such as talking on the phone and fiddling with the radio, especially on busy streets and highways. In this case we do not know whether the driver of the van was paying full attention when he critically struck this individual, but distracted drivers are a growing concern. Here are some tips to follow to assist you in avoiding the possibility of hitting a pedestrian while driving a motor vehicle:
Driving Tips
-Always look out for kids: Children may choose to cross the road at any time, whether it’s to chase a ball, pet, or toy- or simply just being curious.
What you must know about claims on behalf of an injured minor/child
-Follow and obey road signs: laws for the road were designed to protect yourself, other drivers, and pedestrians that could be crossing up ahead.
-Never pass a bus or other stopped vehicle on the road: People or children may decide to cross the road at this time and may only become visible once it is too late
As with all injury cases, it is especially crucial to seek out professional legal advice in pedestrian injury cases. and we have the experienced injury attorneys to evaluate your claim. Our firm is ready to assist you in reviewing your specific situation to see if your claim meets our criteria. In every state there are laws that on how long you have to file a suit also. Don’t hesitate, call our toll free number and get confidential legal advice.