The folks of Memphis checked their morning news as they woke up to find more sorrow. This morning, a pedestrian was fatally struck by a tractor trailer near the busy Poplar and Kirby intersection.
The accident occurred right before 7:00am and left morning commuters rerouting due to the heavy police and fire presence investigating the scene.
Details later came out that the pedestrian was 67-year-old Elizabeth Guess.
Guess, who cleaned houses for a living, was crossing the street near the Poplar and Kirby intersection to reach the bus stop to go to another home. The truck was leaving Kroger and turning right onto Poplar from Kirby. The truck hit Guess in the street and dragged her several hundred feet until the driver of another vehicle flagged the driver down to stop.
“The tractor trailer driver never knew until that point,” said Lee Covey, Germantown Police Inspector.
Steve Herrington, a witness to the accident who was stopping at a nearby ATM, said he often sees pedestrians using the crosswalk at Poplar and Kirby to go to the grocery store or the bus stop. However, it remains unclear if Guess was in the crosswalk when she was hit.
“He said he didn’t see anybody there. Apparently when she saw she couldn’t make it, she fell,” said Harold Jenkins, terminal manager for Howard Baer trucking firm, as he talked about the driver of the tractor trailer. “He’s a good driver.”
Germantown police released the driver around 11:30am and he has not been charged, though the investigation is ongoing.
In a big city like Memphis, jaywalking is always going to be an issue. However, drivers, especially drivers of big tractor trailers, must always be aware of their surroundings and have a responsibly to avoid pedestrians.
By using caution, this tragic situation can be easily avoided. However, if you or a loved one have been struck by a vehicle as a pedestrian, you should seek legal help.
The experienced Memphis personal injury attorneys at Darrell Castle & Associates are no strangers to pedestrian cases. We have fought the battles and won. Let us help you ease the pain and suffering as much as possible by helping you recover the compensation you deserve.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident or truck accident in Memphis, contact us today, either online or by calling us at (901) 327-1212 and one of our attorneys will be ready to speak with you about your situation, free of charge.
If you want to receive fair compensation for your injuries, it’s in your best interest to hire an auto accident lawyer Memphis, TN counts on.