Freshman Pedestrian Killed in Car Crash Near Harrisonville High School

By Zane T. Cagle | September 1, 2016 | Car Accidents, Featured, Pedestrian Accidents, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death

Freshman Boy Tragically Killed While Walking Near School

Cass County, Missouri – A freshman, age 14, died Tuesday afternoon when he was struck by the driver of an SUV on a sidewalk near Harrisonville High School. The crash occurred around 3 p.m. in the afternoon.

According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, the crash occurred on Elm near Halsey where the driver of a 1980 Chevrolet Blazer reportedly lost control of the SUV, traveled off of the left side of the roadway, went into a ditch, crossed back over the roadway and hit the student who was walking on the sidewalk. The driver then hit a house.

In this nightmarish incident, both the driver and the pedestrian have been identified as Harrisonville High School students.  The loss of a child is a uniquely difficult experience for parents and family and the community. The school community is in shock and struggling for ways to help students and friends cope with the loss while examining ways to continuously improve safety in and around the school.   At this time, it is unknown what factors contributed to the crash.

Questions Still Remain…

Questions remain as to how a car was going fast enough near a school to hit a ditch, cross a roadway, hit a person and continue on to hit a house?  Was the driver inexperienced or lost control? Or was the driver speeding?  At 3 p.m. in the afternoon, most areas around schools have school zone speed limits, however, we do know for sure if the pedestrian was in a school zone at the time of the crash.

Since the crash was fatal, the Missouri State Highway Patrol or County Sheriff’s Department did a full scene reconstruction investigation.  These investigations are crucial in finding causes of the crash.  Addresses the causes of the crash assists in determining liability but more importantly, works to aid in the development of more safety procedures to prevent this type of tragedy from happening again. As a community, we want our children to be safe at school and while they are traveling to and from school.  Safety is always the school district and community police officers first priority and when a tragic wrongful death  like this occurs, it has a serious impact on the entire community.

Pedestrian Incidents

A pedestrian incident is any type of incident in which a pedestrian is struck and injured by a vehicle. Some pedestrian incidents are more common than others such as in crosswalks, driveways, parking garages and parking lots. The above incident is unusual in that is sounds like the young man was walking down the sidewalk with the driver of the SUV lost control and drove onto the sidewalk and hit a house. Pedestrian incidents are generally very serious in nature as automobiles are very large in comparison. The speed at which the vehicle is traveling is not always indicative of the severity of the injuries.

If You are Injured in a Motor Vehicle Crash

If you have been seriously injured in a motor vehicle incident or if you have lost a loved one in a car crash, you need legal representation right away.  Dealing with serious injuries or the loss of a loved one is traumatic in of itself and dealing with insurance companies is really the last thing any victim or family member should have to try to cope.

Our attorneys know the shock of a car crash and how difficult the weeks and months following are for victims and their families.  We area available seven days a week for free consultations.

Call at (314) 276-1681

About The Author

Zane T. Cagle

Zane T. Cagle is the founding president and lead trial attorney at The Cagle Law Firm. With a strong dedication to his clients, he has built a reputation for his tenacious representation in personal injury cases, ensuring each client's unique story is heard. Areas of Practice: Personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death. Bar Admissions: Supreme Court of Missouri, Illinois & Kentucky. Superior Court of U.S. Virgin Islands Education: Washington University School of Law. Awards: Super Lawyers, Top 40 Under 40 by The National Trial Lawyers Association, 10 Best in Missouri for Customer Satisfaction.

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