Because Los Angeles streets are typically so crowded, it is very common for residents to travel on foot and walk to get where they need to go. Even now, with the current COVID-19 crisis, people still need to walk either for exercise or to get necessities at the store or visit the doctor. Anytime cars and pedestrians are in the same area, it is possible that there could be a pedestrian accident that results in injuries or even the death of the pedestrian.
According to ABC 7 News, pedestrian accidents were continuing to grow in the Los Angeles area at the beginning of 2020. While there may currently be a slight decline because there is less traffic on the roads due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these accidents still happen. When a traffic accident involves a pedestrian and a car, it usually results in very serious injuries or death to the pedestrian. Though sometimes a pedestrian accident is caused by a pedestrian, more often than not these accidents are caused because drivers are not paying attention. LAPD deputy Moses Catillo stated, “we’re really tired of having to tell loved ones that their family is either severely injured or dead” because of the dramatic increase in accidents involving pedestrians. In 2019, “more than half of the nearly 250 traffic deaths in the city of Los Angeles involved pedestrians” and “three-quarters of the deadly hit and runs in the city involved pedestrians.”