Pedestrian Killed in South San Jose Crash Near Vista Park Drive

California Vehicle Code 21950 requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians crossing within a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. The statute also obligates drivers to exercise due care, reducing speed or stopping when necessary to avoid endangering someone on foot. When a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, investigators typically examine whether this right-of-way duty was met. It remains unclear whether the pedestrian struck near Vista Park Drive and Branham Lane was within a crosswalk at the time of the collision.

Vehicle Code 21954 covers pedestrians who cross a roadway at a point other than a marked crosswalk, requiring them to yield to approaching vehicles. Even so, the same law does not relieve drivers of their duty to exercise due care for the safety of any pedestrian on the roadway. This provision could become relevant if San Jose police determine the pedestrian was crossing outside a designated crosswalk near Martial Cottle Park. Ultimately, fault in these cases depends on the specific facts uncovered by the ongoing investigation.