November 15, 2011, ERIE, PA — So, I’m walking across the street yesterday and nearly got hit by a distracted driver. I’m convinced she had no idea how close we came to knowing one another’s names by heart. Here’s the story.
The Erie headquarters of our Pennsylvania injury law firm are on 26th Street, just west of the I-79 Interchange. Across the street and 1/2 block east of us is Champion Ford, where I sometimes drop my truck for service. This morning, I dropped the truck there for an oil change and hoofed it back to our Erie accident and injury law office.
Now, walking anywhere on 26th Street in Millcreek is a challenge. There are no sidewalks and traffic can be dense and fast. Still, the intersection is controlled by a traffic light and there is a crosswalk and a pedestrian control sign. It should have been fairly safe.
I waited to cross 26th Street until the light changed and the pedestrian signal indicated that it was safe and permissible for me to cross. I began my journey across 26th Street’s 6 or 7 lanes (depending on how many turn lanes you count). As I neared the eastbound lanes, I noticed a woman driving a sedan turning left from Crescent onto eastbound 26th Street. She was talking on her phone. She didn’t even look at me. I stopped walking and she continued her sharp turn in front of me, ultimately passing so close to me I could have reached out and touched her fender. At no time did she ever look at me. There never was a moment when her eyes widened and she recognized that I was there or how close she came to hitting me.
Moments later, another driver drove by me, also talking on his phone. This driver wasn’t nearly as close to me as the other but, just like the woman who nearly clipped me, this driver didn’t appear to be aware of my presence.
That’s the problem with distracted driving. You never know how many close calls you have when you’re not paying attention because most of them pass by unnoticed. You never find out just how dangerous distracted driving is…until it’s too late, of course.
Contact an Erie Distracted Driving Accident Lawyer
For more information on Pennsylvania pedestrian accidents or distracted driving accidents, visit our car accident page or take advantage of our offer to give you a free book, “The Ultimate Guide to Car Accident Cases in Pennsylvania: A Roadmap to Justice.” We are Pennsylvania accident lawyers who believe in providing free information to the public about car and truck accident injuries and the cases that result from them. To schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced Erie injury attorneys, call today toll free at 814-273-2010 or locally at 814-273-2010.