Truck Drivers Fatally Kills Pedestrian in Granite City, IL Accident

Post Date: November 26th, 2010

You don’t have to be in a motor vehicle to be injured by a moving vehicle. Pedestrians are at risk of serious injury or death every time they cross the road. As a Missouri Truck Accident Attorney, I was saddened to hear that a man from Southern Illinois was killed by a tractor-trailer as he was crossing the intersection of a highway. Truck accidents involving pedestrians are rare, but on November 18th, 2010 it happened in Granite City, Illinois.

Around 3 p.m., 80-year-old Robert Schaefer was crossing the intersection of Illinois Route 3 at the West Chain of Rocks Road to get home. The tractor-trailer and other vehicles were stopped at a red light as Robert Schaefer began crossing the road. When the light turned green, the driver pulled out and hit the victim. Robert Schaefer was taken to Saint Louis University Hospital by helicopter, but died that evening.

The driver of the tractor-trailer told Granite City Police that he did not see the victim and an officer made a statement that there is no crosswalk at the intersection. The tractor-trailer accident is still under investigation, but the authorities do not expect to press criminal charges.  I was curious as to why no charges were to be filed against the truck driver. In Missouri and Illinois, this is not normal when an accident involving a pedestrian, who was legally crossing the intersection.

In any event, criminal charges are different than a civil case for wrongful death against the truck company.  As a Granite City, IL Car Accident Attorney, commercial truck driver’s are required to observe the highest degree at all times.  This would involve keeping a careful eye out for any pedestrians.

The police officer’s statement about there not being a crosswalk at the intersection is not based on fact. There may be no marked crosswalk at the intersection where Robert Schaefer was killed, but according to Illinois law the spaces between curbs or edges of the road at an intersection are unmarked crosswalks. All drivers have the responsibility to avoid hitting a pedestrian, especially truck drivers. Tractor-trailers have a force that the human body cannot contend with and they usually end in a fatality.

After a serious tractor-trailer accident, victims and their loved ones are left to pick up the pieces. If you have been seriously injured or lost a loved one because of a truck driver’s negligence, hire an experienced Missouri truck accident to help you file a personal injury claim or wrongful death claim. You and your loved ones should not have to suffer because of someone else’s negligence. Call 877.SUE.TRKS to speak to a truck accident attorney today and let us help you pick up the pieces.

Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles motor vehicle accidents that result in personal injury or death throughout all of Missouri and Illinois. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another driver, please contact a motor vehicle accident attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney’s fees until we recover on your behalf.

Tags: accident, attorney, attorneys, crosswalk, fatal, granite city, killed, lawyer, lawyers, pedestrian, robert schaefer, wrongful death
Posted in Granite City, Illinois Truck Accidents, Pedestrian Truck Accidents | No Comments »