A woman responsible for advocating traffic safety in her neighborhood sustained life-threatening injuries Friday in a Roseville pedestrian accident when she was struck by a car while walking on Old Auburn Road near Allegretto Way.

50-year old Mary Louise Herdegen was strycj by a Honda Accord driven by Ashol Kumar, 51, of Granite Bay. Ms. Herdegen was taken to Sutter Roseville Medical Center where she was reportedly in critical condition. Ironically, Ms. Herdegen had spearheaded an effort to get the County of Placer to reduce traffic on a main thoroughfare in her neighborhood after a speeding car crashed into a house. She was also behind an effort to require street parking permits in her neighborhood due to safety concerns.

Old Auburn Road was closed for 5 1/1 hours while investigators examined the accident scene. Roseville Police are still investigating the cause of the Roseville injury accident and are asking any witnesses to call the traffic unit at (916)774-5088.

California Highway Patrol records indicate that here were 14,047 injury accidents involving pedestrians in California in 2008. California Vehicle Code section 21950 provides that “[t]he 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,” and drivers “shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of the vehicle or take any other action relating to the operating of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.”

The driver of a vehicle must drive safely around pedestrians no matter where they are walking, and a driver can be held legally liable for injuries to a pedestrian even if they were not in a cross walk at the time they were hit. Determining who is at fault in a pedestrian versus auto collision usually requires a very fact specific investigation that includes consideration of the speed of the vehicle, the visibility of the pedestrian, road conditions, and whether avoidance measures were taken.

Pedestrians injured by a motor vehicle should seek the counsel of an experienced Roseville Injury Attorney or Granite Bay Injury Attorney who will analyze all of the factors involved in an incident and will hold the negligent parties accountable. If roadway conditions were a factor, a public or governmental entity may have liability. It is important to consult with a California Personal Injury lawyer quickly since any claim against a public or governmental agency must be filed within 180 days of the accident or injury. An experienced personal injury attorney will advise injury victims of their rights, including whether they are entitled to recover medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering as a result of the incident.

The Demas & Rosenthal personal injury law firm is not currently representing anyone mentioned in this article at the time it was posted. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your legal rights and options, call us or another well recognized and respected personal injury law firm. Please do not rely or act solely upon the information provided in this article. Please consider getting a consultation immediately. The best personal injury law firms will provide a free consultation. Demas & Rosenthal will provide a free, confidential consultation to the persons who were not at fault named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.