CYPRESS, California – Pedestrian Ngoi Nguyen, 81, of Cypress was struck and fatally injured Tuesday night as she walked on Cerritos Avenue just west of Walker Street, according to an Orange County Sheriff Department coroner press release.
She was transported to UCI Medical Center in Orange where she died about an hour later at 6:35 p.m. The driver who hit Nguyen remained at the scene of the crash, but police did not issue any citations or arrest the individual.
Police will conduct a full investigation to determine why the pedestrian was struck including whether she was in a marked crosswalk or if any other factors led to the pedestrian car accident.
California Pedestrian Law
“Under California Vehicle Code Section 21950 (a) The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.
(b) This section does not relieve a pedestrian from the duty of using due care for his or her safety. No pedestrian may suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard. No pedestrian may unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
(c) The driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of the vehicle or take any other action relating to the operation of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.
(d) Subdivision (b) does not relieve a driver of a vehicle from the duty of exercising due care for the safety of any pedestrian within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.”

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 pedestrian killed and 14 others injured in car accidents in Cypress in 2009, according to the California Highway Patrol Statewide Integrated Traffic Report. In Orange County 41 pedestrians died and 864 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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