A California pedestrian was killed when a car struck her on Aug. 9. The pedestrian accident occurred when the victim, an 89-year-old woman, was walking in the area. The vehicle was backing out of a driveway when it hit her.

The accident happened in Santa Clara in the 1200 block of Monroe St. between Harrison St. and Fremont St. across from the Santa Clara Senior Center. The woman was walking on the east side of the street at about 9:30 a.m. when the car hit her. Neighbors in the area heard the woman screaming for help.

Witnesses said that they saw the driver leaving the scene before stopping about half a block away, apparently not realizing that the accident had occurred. Once the driver, who remained unidentified in reports, saw what happened, they returned to help the woman, who died as a result of her injuries a short time after the accident. The car's driver cooperated with police during their investigation. Police described the incident as a tragic accident. The crash remained under investigation at the time of reports.

It is possible that the person driving the car was not paying attention to the area behind them as they backed out of the driveway. Elderly victims of fatal pedestrian accidents are often survived by spouses, children or grandchildren who lose a source of companionship after their loved ones' deaths. Some families are burdened with burial expenses and other financial damages when a relative dies in an accident. Personal injury attorneys may be able to offer advice to families considering filing wrongful death lawsuits after fatal accidents.

Source: Contra Costa Times, "Santa Clara: Police investigate accident that killed elderly pedestrian", Robert Salonga and Steve Johnson , August 10, 2014