Woman dies in Riverside neighborhood after being hit by car

A woman who was walking the streets of a residential neighborhood on a recent evening died after a car accident. The woman has yet to be identified, since authorities are trying to notify the woman's relatives of her death.

According to police, who interviewed witnesses to the accident, the woman was attempting to cross the street when Ford Focus hit her. When medical personnel arrived, the woman was barely hanging on to life and, eventually, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

The driver who hit her did stay at the scene of the accident until after police arrived and conducted their initial investigation. Police say the investigation will continue, and police will decide whether the driver of the vehicle will be charged with a crime or cited for a traffic violation. Police detectives are seeking additional information in connection with this accident.

While not all car accidents involving a pedestrian necessarily are caused by a negligent driver, motorists in California have a legal duty to watch out for pedestrians and, generally speaking, yield the right of way to them. Especially since pedestrians do not have anything to soften the blow of a heavy vehicle, motorists do well to always be on guard for pedestrians, even if the person chooses to walk in the street or try to cross in a spot other than a crosswalk or the corners of an intersection.

As in this case, a pedestrian's injuries following an accident are often serious and, sadly, are in many cases deadly. In such tragic circumstances, a family can seek compensation from any negligent driver by filing a wrongful death lawsuit.