A 68-year-old man was crossing Redwood Road at 1000 North in Salt Lake City around 9 a.m. in his motorized wheelchair when a minivan hit him.

The impact threw the wheelchair to its side when it became jammed under the bottom of the minivan.

This is when bystanders ran to help.

When they approached the vehicle and the trapped man, he was unable to form words but was conscious.

Six to seven people first helped to lift the minivan as another two pulled the man out from under it.

The driver of the vehicle, 63-year-old Gloria Woolman, said that she had not seen the man when she turned onto the street.

Detective Dennis McGowan said that Salt Lake City Police decided not to cite Woolman.
The victim was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.

According to walkinginfo.org in 2009 there were 59,000 reported pedestrian injuries, which comes out to about one every 9 minutes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration compiled a list of why pedestrian accidents occur. About 11% of these injuries, like in the case of this 68-year-old pedestrian, stated visibility as a contributing factor.

A pedestrian can be hidden from the view of a driver in many different ways; physical objects, like a car or a sign, bad weather conditions such as rain or snow and decreased visibility during certain times of the day that include, early morning, late afternoon and night.

In this case, the position of the victim, seated in a wheelchair, may have impacted his visibility to Woolman. Her minivan sits higher up and if she was not attentive to her surroundings she may have looked right over him.

When you are driving, it is imperative that you take extra care to watch for pedestrians. There are many physical objects, extenuating circumstances and weather conditions that could obstruct your view if you are not extra careful.

If you have been a pedestrian and you find yourself the victim of an accident, the personal injury lawyers at the Christensen Law Firm can help. Call us today at 801-506-0800 to find out what options are available to you.