A Plainfield pedestrian may have jumped onto the hood of his parked car to avoiding being hit by an oncoming car on May 18. The unidentified man was walking around his parked car intending to get inside it around 7 o’clock in the morning when a vehicle approached. The driver of the approaching vehicle, a resident from Roselle headed north on River Road, crashed the car into the pedestrian’s car parked on the street.
According to Chatham Police, the auto-pedestrian accident occurred because the driver couldn’t stop the vehicle. The driver cited faulty brakes. However, after an investigation was completed on the vehicle, the police found the driver’s brakes operable, not faulty.
Chatham advanced life support team, emergency squad and Fire Department responded to the scene. The pedestrian was taken to Morristown Medical Center for injuries to his elbow and leg. He suffered no apparent broken bones. The investigation of the auto-pedestrian accident is still ongoing. No charges have been filed. Currently, it is not known whether the pedestrian injured in Chatham will seek legal recourse against the Roselle driver.
Auto-pedestrian accidents happen frequently in New Jersey and around the US because of distracted drivers. Pedestrians often sustain injuries like the pedestrian who tried to avoid the oncoming car in Chatham. Pedestrians, like drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents, do have a legal resource to receive compensation for their injuries, lost wages and pain and suffering. These personal injury cases are filed in a civil court, not criminal court.
Source: New Jersey, “Pedestrian narrowly avoided being crushed by car, Chatham police say“, Justin Zaremba, May 18, 2013