Burbank, CA: 18-Year-Old Pedestrian Killed on 5 Freeway Near Alameda Avenue

California Vehicle Code 21960 gives Caltrans and local authorities the power to prohibit pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized traffic from freeways and expressways where signs are posted. Freeways like the 5 are engineered for high-speed travel, and a person on foot in a live traffic lane faces an extreme risk of a fatal collision. When a freeway pedestrian death occurs, investigators look at whether the roadway had adequate barriers, lighting and signage to keep foot traffic off the travel lanes.

Even when a pedestrian is where they should not be, California Vehicle Code 21954 still requires every driver to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian on the roadway, regardless of the pedestrian’s right-of-way. That duty includes maintaining a proper lookout and reducing speed where visibility is limited, such as on a freeway at night. If a driver failed to react reasonably to an obstruction in the roadway, that failure can support a claim even when the pedestrian was not in a crosswalk.