Woman Seriously Injured After Being Struck by SUV in Fresno, Police Say

California Vehicle Code 21954 requires a pedestrian crossing outside a marked or unmarked crosswalk to yield the right-of-way to approaching vehicles. Witnesses in this crash reportedly said the woman entered the roadway outside a designated crosswalk before she was struck. Even so, the same statute makes clear that drivers are never relieved of their duty to exercise due care for pedestrians in the roadway, no matter where they cross. Fault in this type of collision often turns on whether the driver was keeping a proper lookout and could reasonably have avoided the impact.

California’s basic speed law, Vehicle Code 22350, prohibits driving at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent given the lighting, visibility, and pedestrian traffic present at the time. Reports indicate the SUV involved in this crash was traveling under the posted speed limit, but the basic speed law can still apply to nighttime conditions where a driver’s speed is unsafe for the circumstances even if it is technically legal. Investigators have not yet said whether the vehicle’s speed was appropriate for the nighttime, low-visibility conditions on Clinton Avenue. A speed that is legal on paper can still be negligent if it is not safe for the road conditions actually present.