This incident involved a passenger vehicle which struck a pedestrian who was attempting to cross the roadway. Footage from a surveillance camera located at the corner of the intersection captured the impact and the events which preceded it. ARCCA’s accident reconstruction team was asked to analyze this incident to determine who was at fault.
Steps Taken:
- Reviewed the available file materials including the police report, photographs, surveillance video and statements from involved parties and witnesses.
- Inspected the incident site, documenting it with photographs, measurements, and three-dimensional laser scans. Conducted several calibrated drive-through tests at the posted speed limit.
- Utilized photogrammetric camera matching techniques to take measurements from the surveillance video.
- Calculated speeds and evaluated the pre-impact actions of the vehicle operator.
Final Findings:
- The pedestrian was present in the roadway and therefore posed an immediate hazard to the vehicle operator for less than five seconds prior to impact.
- In the time that the involved vehicle was visible within the field of view of the surveillance camera, it was traveling at an average speed which was below the speed limit. Accounting for the pre-impact braking, it was concluded that the vehicle was not speeding prior to impact.
- The vehicle operator perceived, reacted, and responded to the hazard he was presented with in a reasonable and prudent manner. The operator did not have sufficient time to brake to a stop without impacting the pedestrian.
