A car hit a 15-year-old girl in West Jordan Monday morning in front of Heartland Elementary School.

The girl, whose name was not released, was walking across a crosswalk at 6:50am in dark clothing when the car hit her. There was no crossing guard on duty during that time.

“The combination of heavy traffic, dark intersection, dark clothing, and a fast-moving pedestrian caused the accident,” said Sgt. Drew Sanders of the West Jordan Police Department.

Though, at this time her injuries are not believed to be life threatening, she is in serious condition.

According to walkinginfo.org in 2009 there were 59,000 reported pedestrian injuries, which comes out to about one every 9 minutes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration compiled a list of why pedestrian accidents occur. About 11% of these injuries, like in the case of this 15-year-old teen pedestrian, stated visibility as a contributing factor.

A pedestrian can be hidden from the view of a driver in many different ways; physical objects, like a car or a sign, bad weather conditions such as rain or snow and decreased visibility during certain times of the day that include, early morning, late afternoon and night.

It is important that during these conditions pedestrians take extra precautions while walking among road traffic. You cannot just assume that because there is a crosswalk all drivers will notice you walking into the middle of the street. Take the time to make sure that a driver sees you before proceeding.

Pedestrian accidents are all too common but that doesn’t make the legal process any more simple. If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident you are going to need an experienced and compassionate legal representative. The attorneys at the Christensen Law Firm are well versed in pedestrian accidents and handle each and every case with respect and sensitivity. Call us today at 801-506-0800 to find out what options are available to you.