Halloween night is notoriously dangerous for pedestrians. Not only are there more pedestrians on the road, but drivers are not always on their best behavior. Cars are over-packed with people heading to costume parties, and after the parties, not all drivers have the good sense to call a cab. Unfortunately, this often leads to serious car accidents.
While we don’t yet know exactly how many car accidents happened last night in the Twin Cities, we do know that at least one person was killed in a pedestrian accident.
Last night around 5:40, a 65-year-old woman was crossing a street in Chaska. As she did so, she was hit by a car and killed. Although Chaska police said they do not suspect alcohol as a factor in the collision, they are continuing to investigate.
There was no marked crosswalk at the intersection of State Street and Chaska Boulevard where the crash occurred, but that does not mean the driver is free of fault.
Sometimes when a pedestrian is hit where there is no crosswalk, police will not press charges against the driver. If the driver was speeding, distracted or negligent in some other way, however, he or she can be held responsible. The family of a pedestrian accident victim can choose to hold the driver accountable themselves.
The death of a loved one not only brings emotional challenges, but financial challenges as well. Funeral costs, burial expenses, and medical bills can all add up, leaving some families facing financial crisis during an already difficult time. Through a personal injury lawsuit, however, a family can seek compensation from the driver who hit their loved one.
Source: Star Tribune, “Woman struck, killed by car in Chaska,” Oct. 31, 2013