Three Teenage Pedestrians Killed By Distracted Driver

One week ago on August 25, a car driven by Priscilla Diane Johnson, struck and killed three pedestrians along Ga. 138.  The three pedestrians, all teenagers, were walking eastbound in the emergency lane along the road near the intersection of I-675.

According to Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Johnson, 48 years old and from Lithonia, was talking on her cell phone and on anti-depressants at the time of this deadly pedestrian crash.

One of the pedestrians was Antonious “Tony” Bishop who was 16 years old.  He died at the scene of the crash.  Octavius Sorrells, another pedestrian, who was 17 years old, died at Grady Hospital, several hours after the pedestrian crash.  Timothy Aaron, the third pedestrian walking with Bishop and Sorrells, was 17 years old, and suffered serious brain injury as a result of this pedestrian crash.  Aaron was taken off life support and died Saturday morning.

Johnson now faces charges as a result of her actions last Thursday.  She has been charged with vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, hit and run, obstruction of an officer, driving on a suspended driver’s license, driving in the emergency lane, failure to exercise due care while on a cell phone, reckless driving, and having no proof of insurance.

Pedestrian safety and the right to recovery are taken seriously in the State of Georgia.

Pedestrians also may be entitled to compensation if they have been struck by a car or other motor vehicle.  According to the Pedestrian Safety Campaign, a pedestrian is killed or injured every seven minutes.

In the United States, around 5,000 pedestrian fatalities occur every year.  Every year, there are about 64,000 injuries to pedestrians that are related to motorist collisions.

The most likely reason a pedestrian accident occurs is because the driver of the motor vehicle was not paying attention or was otherwise negligent.  Negligence is the failure to exercise reasonable care that an ordinary person would use under the same or similar circumstances.

A driver can be negligent by speeding, conducting distractive acts (texting, talking on phone, reaching for something, eating, etc.), driving under the influence and by engaging in other related activities.

Because thousands of pedestrians are injured or killed each year alone, pedestrians should exercise caution when walking places, like to work or to a friend’s house.  Always follow traffic control devices and look both ways before crossing any street or roadway.

If you or a loved one has been injured as a pedestrian caused by a vehicle or by a motorist collision, you may want to speak with our Accident Lawyers to see how we can help protect your legal interests.