Car Strikes And Fatally Injures Pedestrian In Horry County

Children learn at a young age that they should look both ways before crossing the street, only cross at crosswalks and, if they are trying to cross at a busy intersection, wait for the walk sign to light up, even if it seems like it takes a long time.  Despite this, many pedestrians suffer injuries or worse as a result of collisions with cars in South Carolina each year.  In an ideally pedestrian-friendly world, there would be plenty of ways for pedestrians to walk to any destination without having to walk near fast-moving cars, but South Carolina does not stand out as a place conducive to travel on foot.  Accidents involving pedestrians are sometimes due to lack of caution on the pedestrian’s part, but much more often, they are the result of careless or outright dangerous behavior by the driver of the car.  When pedestrians keep getting hit on the same part of the same road, though, perhaps the location is a factor.  If you got hit by a car while walking in an area where it was difficult for you to keep a safe distance from traffic and difficult for drivers to see you, contact a Columbia car accident lawyer.

Where Do Pedestrian Accidents Occur?

Pedestrian accidents can happen anywhere that cars and pedestrians cross paths, from parking lots to intersections.  Just as the humble seatbelt has prevented more serious injuries to people inside vehicles than any other safety feature, so has the humble sidewalk made it possible for cars and pedestrians to coexist peacefully most of the time.  While one occasionally hears of horrific accidents where a car drives onto the sidewalk and strikes pedestrians, these accidents are rare.  The chances of pedestrians getting hit by cars is much higher when the pedestrians are walking on areas of road that do not have sidewalks.

Socastee Boulevard in Horry County is one of South Carolina’s trouble spots for pedestrian accidents.  In November 2024, a Jeep struck a man who was crossing Socastee Boulevard on foot just after dark.  The pedestrian, Hector Daniel Perez Ortiz, was pronounced dead at the scene, but none of the three occupants of the Jeep suffered injuries.  Perez Ortiz was 37 years old.  News reports did not identify the driver of the Jeep or indicate whether any criminal charges have been filed in connection to the accident.

Residents of Socastee have long urged local authorities to make the area of Socastee Boulevard where Perez Ortiz died safer for pedestrians.  It does not have street lamps spaced close enough together to make pedestrians visible, and there are no designated pedestrian crossings.  Lack of sidewalks, lack of crosswalks, and lack of lighting are a deadly combination for pedestrians.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you pursue a complaint related to a pedestrian accident.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Source:

wmbfnews.com/2024/11/04/coroner-ids-man-hit-killed-by-vehicle-socastee-boulevard/