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| The famous actress got hit by a car while jogging |
On Wednesday, September 7, 2011, in Santa Monica, California, a well-known woman jogging got hit by a car. That woman was Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon who was jogging on a sidewalk near her home. She got hit while crossing a traffic intersection in an unmarked crosswalk.
A driver of a 1985 Toyota failed to stop and yield to Ms. Witherspoon who had the right-of-the-way. Ms. Witherspoon suffered minor injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital where she received treatment and was released shortly afterwards with a noticeable gash on her forehead.
Ms. Witherspoon has declined to press charges against the driver of the striking vehicle. However, the Santa Monica Police cited the driver for failure to stop for a pedestrian and ordered her to retake the driving exam.
If a famous actress can get hit by a car while walking or jogging, then this could happen to anyone, including your children, spouse, neighbors, co-workers, etc.
Ms. Witherspoon has declined to press charges against the driver of the striking vehicle. However, the Santa Monica Police cited the driver for failure to stop for a pedestrian and ordered her to retake the driving exam.
If a famous actress can get hit by a car while walking or jogging, then this could happen to anyone, including your children, spouse, neighbors, co-workers, etc.
This is why we need pedestrian-bike paths on Norbeck Road since most vehicles travel at a higher average speed of 40-55 mph, especially on downhill sections, compared with Ms. Witherspoon's street where the speed limit is much lower at 25 mph.
That could be why Ms. Witherspoon sustained only moderate injuries and walked away largely unscathed. If the striking vehicle had been traveling faster, Ms. Witherspoon's life could have been in peril.
I implore the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) to focus more on pedestrian safety and add pedestrian-bike paths to narrow, curvy roads, especially when they are repaved or re-routed as was the case during ICC construction with a new bridge overpass. I also urge SHA to clearly mark and paint crosswalks at all intersections, all four sides, regardless of the location and volume of traffic. These steps would certainly improve roadway safety for both pedestrians and drivers.
I implore the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) to focus more on pedestrian safety and add pedestrian-bike paths to narrow, curvy roads, especially when they are repaved or re-routed as was the case during ICC construction with a new bridge overpass. I also urge SHA to clearly mark and paint crosswalks at all intersections, all four sides, regardless of the location and volume of traffic. These steps would certainly improve roadway safety for both pedestrians and drivers.
The SHA needs to start providing equal access to all roadways for our large population of residents who cannot drive. That includes children, teenagers, young adults, elderly, and the disabled. Don't forget those who are low-income and may not be able to afford a car and its long-term operating expenses.
In summary, pedestrians and bicyclists are our most vulnerable road users, therefore, they deserve to be protected at all costs from vehicular traffic with separate pedestrian-bike paths so that they do not have to risk their lives by walking or biking in the road. This would also reduce vehicle accidents as drivers would not have to swerve around pedestrians in the road or cross the double-yellow line to pass them.
Please call SHA's Jeremy Beck at 410-545-8518 and demand that SHA upgrade Norbeck Road with a pedestrian-bike path before a pedestrian or bicyclist gets hit and injured or killed.
Full details on Reese Witherspoon's injuries after the jump:
Edmund's Insideline Website: http://www.insideline.com/
Actress Reese Witherspoon Hit by Car While Jogging
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| The actress is an avid jogger! |
SANTA MONICA, California — Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon had some real-life drama of her own when she was hit by a 1985 Toyota sedan driven by an 84-year-old woman while jogging Wednesday at 11:14 a.m. in a residential area of Santa Monica, California.
The female driver is an 84-year-old Santa Monica resident. She was traveling southbound on 20th Street at about 20 mph. and struck Witherspoon, who was jogging westbound on Georgina Avenue through the intersection at 20th Street.
The driver of the Toyota was released after being cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. Alcohol was not suspected as a factor.
"Ms. Witherspoon was within a portion of the intersection considered a crosswalk. This is a residential neighborhood and most crosswalks are not marked like business districts," Santa Monica Police Sgt. Richard
Lewis told Inside Line. "The weather conditions were sunny and clear."
Lewis said the Toyota had minor damage to the right front portion of the vehicle from the collision. No photo is available because it's considered evidence, he said.
Oddly enough, the police said they didn't know what kind of Toyota it was. Last week, Los Angeles police were unable to tell Inside Line what kind of Ferrari Justin Bieber was driving when he was in a minor fender-bender.
Witherspoon, 35, suffered minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to a Santa Monica hospital for medical treatment. She was quickly released and was spotted with a quarter-sized gash on her forehead, Us Weekly reports.
Lewis believes a nearby city employee called in the accident to the police department. A witness at the accident site told Us Weekly that: "The driver seemed to have not seen her because of a large tree at the intersection...[Reese] was lucky, because it could have been much more serious."
Witherspoon's films include Legally Blonde, Walk the Line and Water for Elephants. She won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of singer June Carter Cash in Walk the Line.
Just the Facts:
- Actress Reese Witherspoon was hit by a 1985 Toyota sedan driven by an 84-year-old while jogging Wednesday in Santa Monica, California, police told Inside Line.
- Witherspoon was jogging westbound on Georgina Avenue through an unmarked crosswalk when the female driver traveling southbound on 20th Street going about 20 mph struck her.
- Witherspoon, 35, suffered minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to a Santa Monica hospital, where she was treated and released.
The UK Daily Mail Website: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
Reese Witherspoon recovering at home after being hit by a car whilst jogging
By Sophie Forbes
Last updated at 1:14 PM on 8th September 2011
Oscar winning actress Reese Witherspoon was hit by a car on Wednesday afternoon. The 35-year-old star was jogging near her home in Santa Monica, California when a car struck her.
The vehicle was traveling at around 20 miles per hour when it hit her in the 20th street and Georgina Avenue area, according to reports on RadarOnline.com.
She was transported to a local hospital where she was treated for minor injuries.
'Reese Witherspoon was hit by a car on Wednesday and sustained minor injuries,' a police spokesperson told the American website.She is now said to be back at home with her family and resting.
The driver of the car, an 84-year-old woman, was cited for failure to stop for a pedestrian and was released.
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