SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, California — Heather Plazak, 30, of Tampa, Florida was jogging on Highway 38 near mile marker 29 Thursday afternoon in Angelus Oaks when she was struck from behind and killed by a 2000 Ford F150 pick-up truck.
Paramedics responding to the scene of the pedestrian accident pronounced Plazak dead at the scene of the car accident. Plazak, who works for Camp Edwards, was struck about 12:50 p.m., according to the report.
“Drivers should be extremely cautious when passing joggers on roadways in small towns such as Angelus Oaks,” said Attorney West Seegmiller, founder of the Seegmiller Law Firm. “This is indeed a tragedy for the family of Heather Plazak. Police will likely investigate the crash to determine whether the driver was negligent.”
San Bernardino County Pedestrian Accident Statistics Source: California Highway Patrol Statewide Integrated Traffic Report
Pedestrians need to be especially cautious on our roadways because they are more vulnerable to injury or death. There were one pedestrians killed and 24 others injured in car accidents in Westminster in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrol Statewide Integrated Traffic Report. In Orange County 39 pedestrians died and 472 were injured in 2009.
In California, there were 598 pedestrians killed and 12,418 injured in 2009, according to the CHP traffic report.
National data compiled by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Authority shows that pedestrian injuries and fatalities in the United States were up 4.9% in 2010 to 4,280 deaths and injuries were up 19% in 2010 to 70,000 people injured.
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The Seegmiller Law Firm can be reached at 1-855-ASK–WEST. For over 30 years, the firm has been a staunch advocate for victims’ rights and has fought for clients involved in personal injury and wrongful death cases, including premises liability, product liability, auto accidents, dog bites, nursing home negligence, medical malpractice, at-work injuries and more. The firm has offices in Irvine, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Bernardino, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada.
