Woman suffers broken leg trying to cross street

A woman who was trying to cross the street in the south part of Reno has reportedly suffered a broken leg after a motorist struck her with his vehicle.

The woman was crossing the street in a crosswalk in the early evening hours of a recent weeknight. It was after dark when the motorist drove in to the crosswalk, striking the woman. The driver apparently remained at the scene and explained that he simply did not see the woman crossing the street.

Police indicated that they did not suspect that drugs or alcohol were contributing factors in this accident. They did, however, issue a ticket to the driver for failure to yield. Nevada law requires that motorists yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Under the law, the fact that it was dark out or that the pedestrian was hard to see are not excuses for failing to yield and hitting a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

While thankfully the woman’s injuries do not appear to be life-threatening, a broken leg can be a very serious affair. In addition to the obvious costs of ongoing medical treatment, the woman may have to take some time off of work because of this injury, especially if her job requires her to move around.

Additionally, the woman has likely experienced some pain and suffering as well as emotional distress in connection with her being hit unexpectedly by a car.

This story only serves to reinforce how important it is for drivers on the streets of Reno to be on the lookout for pedestrians, especially in and around crosswalks. When drivers through inattentiveness or some other form of carelessness fail to do so, a victim may hold the driver legally accountable.