A 21-year-old New Jersey woman who was standing at the side of the road after a fender-bender died after a third car not involved in the first accident plowed into the two parked vehicles from behind. The drivers of the parked cars were both standing near their vehicles when the third car collided with them. The other pedestrian, a 49-year-old man, was taken to the hospital.
As of the last reports, the man’s condition was stable and he was expected to survive the accident. The woman who died in the accident was attending college at a nearby university.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the accident and no charges have been filed at this time. However, the two accident victims who had apparently collided with each had pulled over to the side of the road, perhaps to exchange information and evaluate the damage to their vehicles. Not only are people expected under the law to stop and remain at the scene of an accident, it is also thought of by many as a matter of common courtesy.
While remaining alongside a busy road does present dangers, New Jersey drivers need to be aware that car accidents and other roadside emergencies may require people to stand unprotected near the road. Drivers need to be on the lookout for pedestrians in unexpected places and take the necessary precautions when approaching them.
In this case, early reports indicate that third driver, for whatever reasons, hit two parked cars on the side of a road, resulting in a fatality. Depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigation, the survivor and the family of the deceased college student may be eligible to receive compensation for their loss.
Source: NJ.com, “Update: 21-year-old woman killed, man hospitalized in Long Branch crash,” Ashley Peskoe, Sept. 12, 2013
