Wenatchee, Washington – Teen Hospitalized After Getting Struck by Vehicle

Wenatchee, Washington (December 16, 2019) – A 14 year-old boy is recovering from his injuries after getting struck by a vehicle on the intersection of North Miller Street and Orchard Avenue on Monday night. The patient was taken to Central Washington Hospital following the incident, and by Tuesday required surgery to insert a pin into his broken shoulder. The driver appears to be uninjured in the incident and no other injuries were reported in the crash.

According to the report, the victim had left a basketball game from Orchard Middle School around 6:15 p.m. While crossing North Miller Street, a northbound vehicle ran into the victim, whose shoulder collided with the windshield of the vehicle. It has been determined that the intersection had a Crosswalk Warning Light system that was activated at the time of the incident. The cause of the crash has not been reported.

About Pedestrian Accidents

Unfortunately, as shown in this case, pedestrians are at also risk while on the streets, with the National Center for Health Statistics estimating 7, 450  pedestrian deaths in 2017. Pedestrian accidents can fall under traffic or non-traffic depending on the location where they were struck. Traffic incidents happen on public roads, while non-traffic incidents occur on non-traffic areas such as driveways, parking lots and other private property. Most pedestrian deaths occur in urban settings, on urban roads (72%) versus on intersections (18%), and mostly at night. Much like motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents can happen simply because people are not as visible as other vehicles, a problem which is worse during night. And in an event of a car crash, similar to motorcycle drivers and passengers, the risk to pedestrians are greater than those inside a car, with fatality rate being 1.5 times greater than any car passenger.When it comes to risk, older adults, children, and alcohol-impaired drivers or pedestrians are at most risk in pedestrian accidents. The risk is further heightened in a situation where a vehicle is at high speed. Lately, distractions also cause accidents not only for drivers, but also pedestrians, specifically those who are using their phones while crossing the road. We urge everyone to exercise area awareness at all times and to keep their attention on the road. Avoiding accidents not only prevents loss, damage, injuries and death to one’s self, but also on other people in the surroundings.

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