A car accident in the early morning hours Thursday left a Philadelphia teenager critically injured. Authorities say 19-year-old Leslie McClelland was travelling at high speed when he lost control of his vehicle, crashing his 2004 Mitsubishi into a concrete barrier on the Vine Street Expressway. The SUV then rolled over, ejecting McClelland. Medical personnel rushed the teenager to Hahnemann University Hospital with grievous injuries. There’s no word on his condition at this hour other than he’s still in the hospital and has no timetable for his release as yet.
No other vehicles were involved in the accident, according to CBS Philadelphia. Police closed The Vine Street Expressway for a couple hours Thursday morning while crews worked to clean up the accident wreckage.
To look at video footage from the scene, it’s a miracle Leslie survived the accident. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family as he struggles to recover. Hopefully, a resulting investigation of the accident scene can yield some clues or answers as to why he lost control of his car. Because of the late hour of the crash, 2:20 a.m., perhaps driver fatigue was to blame.
In 2010, there were 93 accident fatalities in Philadelphia, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Of all accidents occurring in the city during that year, only 41 percent involved seatbelt use. That places Philadelphia at the very bottom of all counties and municipalities in the state for use of safety restraints during accidents. Research has shown time and again that these devices save lives. Using them can mean the difference between walking away from a crash with a few bumps and not surviving to see family members again. Predicting the behavior of other drivers is next to impossible, but taking the proper safety precautions can help limit injuries, if something unexpected does occur on the road.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence of another driver, you may be entitled to compensation. Reaching out to a team of experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers is an important step in preserving your rights to seek damages to pay your medical bills from the crash and replace your lost wages. Don’t allow the insurance company involved in the claim to delay your settlement or attempt to intimidate you. You have rights; we’ll help you keep them.
A twin boy and girl are in the hospital today after sustaining serious injuries in a Philadelphia bicycle accident that almost turned into a hit-and-run. Emily Sanchez, 11-years-old, is in critical condition with undisclosed head and leg injuries. Her brother, Eduardo Sanchez, sustained a broken leg and arm in the collision. The two kids were riding their bicycles on 9th and Birch streets on Sunday afternoon when a Ford SUV careened down the road and struck multiple parked cars before striking the twins.
Witnesses said bicycle parts were strewn over the accident site. The SUV involved in the crash had the frame of one bike bent around its wheels.
One eye-witness, Luis Diaz, actually prevented the SUV’s driver from fleeing the scene. He grabbed the keys from inside the vehicle, though that didn’t stop the driver from attempting to run away. Another witness, Ramon Martinez, ran after the driver, a 58-year-old man, and caught up with him two blocks later.
My thoughts and prayers are with those kids as they struggle to recover from their injuries. Also, I’d like to extend a special note of thanks to the witnesses at the scene who rendered and stopped the driver responsible from leaving. Their quick-thinking may make law enforcement’s task easier in reconstructing the accident.
In 2010, there were 1,487 accidents involving bicycles in Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Those accidents resulted in the deaths of 21 bicyclists across the state. In an effort to promote bicycle safety, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed new regulations this spring requiring all drivers to give bicyclists at least four feet of clearance when passing on roadways. While bicyclists of any age have an obligation to obey the laws of the road, drivers must remain alert at all times to avoid potentially severe accidents.
If you or a loved one has sustained injuries in a car accident while on a bicycle, you may be entitled to compensation. Contacting a team of experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyers is an important step in upholding your rights to damages and holding those responsible for your injuries accountable for your costs.
A suspect is dead after fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run accident and threatening to kill a female Philadelphia police officer. Police have identified the man as 26-year-old Thomas Hennelly of Havertown. The incident began Thursday morning in Brewerytown when an unidentified man struck a Temple University student and drove his truck away from the scene. A plain clothes officer actually witnessed the pedestrian accident and fired on Hennelly’s truck in an attempt to blow out his tires. He then drove about six more blocks through the city before abandoning the vehicle. While on foot, a female police officer attempted to stop him.
Hennelly informed the officer to “back off” or he would shoot her. She fired twice, striking him once in the chest. Emergency responders pronounced the suspect dead at the scene. Police reportedly found drugs on him, according to NBC Philadelphia, but have released no other information relating to the original cause of the accident. The condition of the Temple student is also not available at this hour.
My heart goes out to the student and their family during this confusing time. My hope is that the student’s injuries are minor and the recovery is a quick one. There are many concerned people who’ll want quick answers from authorities.
In 2010, there were 4,454 car accidents involving pedestrians in Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. These accidents resulted in 148 pedestrian deaths. Crashes involving pedestrians represented 3.7 percent of all motor vehicle accidents in Pennsylvania for 2010.
As a pedestrian, car accident can leave substantial injuries in its wake, prevent you from returning to work and make it impossible to perform even the simplest tasks. You don’t have any of the protective materials around you that a driver or passenger has – your body is literally your vehicle. If you or a loved one sustained injuries in this type of accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact an experienced Philadelphia injury lawyer to review your options and rights to pursue full compensation for your damages.
As Philadelphia accident lawyers, we always have safety in our thoughts. However, it seems like safety only comes to the forefront of the public’s mind when either someone they know was hurt or killed or when there is a celebrity involved. Well thanks to Ryan Gosling, the news is buzzing with information about pedestrian accidents. Yahoo Movies reported that yesterday heartthrob Ryan Gosling saved British journalist Laurie Penny from an oncoming taxi.
Since Penny is from England she had looked the wrong way when she was about to cross the street, and lucky for her Gosling was there to step in and save her from what could have been a very serious accident. She turned to Twitter immediately following the accident and explained what happened.
Penny's Twitter feed following the almost accident.
And it must have been a day for pedestrian safety because in not-too-far Philadelphia the city played a April Fool’s joke on pedestrians in Center City. 6ABC in Philadelphia reported that the public prank was painted on the 1400 block of JFK Boulevard and will remain there for a week.
Some people are not amused by the prank most likely due to the recent rumors that Philadelphia was going to put a ban on texting while walking. While the city may not be taking it to that extreme the prank does double by trying to raise awareness to the very serious problem of distracted pedestrians.
Often times when you think of a pedestrian accident, you assume that it was the driver that acted in a negligent manner, but that is not always the case. In reality it is the responsibility of the pedestrian just as much as the driver to take steps to protect themselves from being involved in a pedestrian accident.
The Philly prank features a pedestrian holding an electronic device. The lane has been nicknamed the E-Lane.
New York City also recently made a very public statement about pedestrian safety with their Curbside Haiku campaign. [Read about it here]
In Philadelphia there were 30 pedestrian deaths in 2010 and another 1,739 were injured. With our attachment to technology in today’s world it is not unreasonable to note that people paying too much attention to their smart phone or mp3 player could be playing a large role in these high rates of accidents. Just like distracted driving, distracted walking could prevent you from avoiding a potentially deadly situation.
We applaud Gosling and the city of Philadelphia for doing their parts to control the pedestrian accident epidemic. If you or someone you love has been injured contact Console & Hollawell’s skilled pedestrian accident attorneys in Philadelphia today. We will work with you to determine who was at fault in your accident and ensure that the responsible parties are held accountable. Call us today at (866) 778-5500 to set up your free consultation.
A woman was injured in a Pennsylvania truck accident after her car got wedged underneath a tractor-trailer and dragged about 50 feet. According to a news report in The Intelligencer, the accident occurred the evening of March 27, 2012 on Route 313 in Doylestown. Police said the woman was driving her Oldsmobile Aurora onto Route 313 from Maple Avenue when her car collided with the truck, which was westbound on Route 313. Nearly half of the Aurora went under the trailer and was pulled along Route 313 before the truck stopped. The tractor-trailer was owned by New York-based Rist Transport Ltd. It took emergency personnel about an hour to free the woman from the wreckage. She was flown to a Philadelphia hospital with unspecified injuries.
Please keep this woman in your thoughts and prayers as she is recovering from this traumatic Pennsylvania car accident. I hope she recovers quickly and completely from whatever injuries she has sustained.
A 9-year-old girl was hospitalized with injuries after a dog attack in York, Pennsylvania on March 18, 2012. According to a WGAL news report, the dog bite incident occurred in the 600 block of Salem Avenue. The girl was visiting a family friend in the 600 block of Salem Avenue when the homeowner’s pit bull latched on to her. Two adults who came to the girl’s rescue were also bitten. The owner of the dog has said that the dog will be put down in 10 days.
My heart goes out to the injured victim of this dog attack. I’m relieved to hear that she is expected to survive and is recovering in an area hospital. Please keep this child and her family in your thoughts and prayers.
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