Saturday night at least one person was killed in a crash on San Diego I-5 in downtown. According to California Highway Patrol (CHP), the fatal collision occurred just after 10 pm in the southbound lanes near the Imperial Avenue exit in the East Village neighborhood of downtown.
CHP dispatchers said some 911 callers reported that the victim had been riding a motorcycle while others reported the victim was a pedestrian. Responders found the victim’s body in freeway lanes.
The CHP incident log detailed that several vehicles were involved, though it is not clear if they were part of the initial collision or if it was a result of abrupt braking as the vehicles came upon the initial crash scene.
Medics responded to the scene for several injured people, according to CHP logs, and all southbound lanes of I-5 were shut down overnight for about five hours, reopening around 3:30 am.
No other details have been made available at this time, authorities continue to investigate the matter.
Increase In Fatal Accidents In The US Involving Motorcyclists and Pedestrians
According to data collected by the National Safety Council (NSC), it was found that in 2021, Saturdays witnessed the highest number of fatal car accidents in the United States. Out of the total 39,508 crashes recorded that year, 6,735 of those occurred on Saturdays, with the majority of those Saturday accidents taking place between 8:00 – 11:59 pm.
Additional data from the NSC indicates that while motorcyclists make up only 3 percent of registered vehicles, they make up more than 16 percent of traffic fatalities. Moreover, in the past decade, there has been a 32 percent increase in motorcyclist deaths in traffic-related accidents. When looking geographically at where these fatal motorcycle accidents occur, California ranks second in the nation for fatal motorcycle accidents, with 634 deaths, following Florida, with 668 deaths.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that in 2021 more than 7,000 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in the US. California ranked ninth in the number of pedestrian accidents.
Road Safety Tips
To keep everyone safe on the road, drivers, motorcyclists, and pedestrians alike must work together. “Our thoughts are with the family who lost their loved one in the tragic accident on Saturday,” says attorney Brett Schreiber of Singleton Schreiber, “motor vehicle accidents are on the rise, unfortunately. It’s important that victims of this accident and anyone involved in a similar accident know they may have legal recourse.”
Drivers, motorcyclists, and pedestrians alike can work together to prevent accidents by:
- Paying close attention to their surroundings
- Avoiding distractions while driving or walking
- Behaving predictably, using blinkers, and obeying traffic signals
- Driving the speed limit
- Walking only where permitted and using the sidewalk whenever it is available
- Avoid driving or walking while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Keeping an eye out for each other and yielding the correct right of way
If you lost a loved one in a motorcycle or pedestrian accident, contact Singleton Schreiber by email at info@singletonschreiber.com.
