Last month, we reported on our Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog that 84-year-old Joao Amaral, who is wheelchair-bound, was injured when he was involved in a New Bedford truck accident. Amaral was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital in serious condition. Now, the news media are reporting that the elderly pedestrian has died from his injuries.
Amaral was on the crosswalk near the curb on Purchase Street when an oil truck owned by Star Oil Co. hit him. The driver of the truck, 74-year-old John Duarte, has been charged with failing to yield to a pedestrian. It is not known at this time whether more charges will be field against the trucker now that Amaral has died.
Elderly seniors are at higher risk of becoming involved in a Boston pedestrian accident than their younger pedestrian counterparts. Old age, injuries, and disabilities may make them slower to cross the street. Prescription meds can also dull their reaction time, while their reflexes may have slowed with age. Also, as the Federal Highway Administration reports, pedestrians in the 65 and over age group are two to eight times at greater risk of dying than younger pedestrians. One reason for this is because older people can have a harder time recovering from serious injuries.
While there are steps that pedestrians can definitely take to avoid becoming involved in a Massachusetts traffic crash, motorists must exercise the proper care and attention when driving so that they don’t accidentally strike anyone. Usually, it will be the pedestrian who suffers the more serious injuries.
Wheelchair-bound man, struck by oil truck, dies, South Coast Today, February 24, 2011
Wheelchair-bound Man Struck by Oil Truck in New Bedford, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, January 13, 2011
Related Web Resource:
FMCSA
More Blog Posts:
Massachusetts Woman Dies in Tractor-Trailer Accident, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, April 14, 2010
Medford Car Crash Kills Dracut Man, Police Investigating Accident, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, December 20, 2010
For your free case evaluation, contact our Boston injury law firm today.