An accident in Huntington Beach early this morning left one person injured. There were three vehicles involved in the accident near Newland Street and Edinger Avenue: a Dodge, Toyota and Mercedes-Benz. According to officers at the site, one of the vehicles ran a red light, involving the other two. One of the drivers was removed to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Accidents at intersections in Huntington Beach and across Orange County often leave seriously injured victims. All drivers should be extra vigilant when entering a busy intersection. This is especially true early in the morning as the sun rises and it may be hard for oncoming drivers to see traffic control devices.
The accident in Huntington Beach reminds all of us of the nature of sharing our beautiful cities with the influx of visitors who come to Southern California this time of year. Huntington Beach may only have a few hundred thousand local residents, but more than 8 million people are expected to visit the community this year. These visitors are not familiar with local streets, traffic patterns and pedestrian traffic. Many are not used to the high number of people who are out and about enjoying the beautiful weather on foot, a skateboard or riding a bicycle.
Pedestrian accidents, including those involving skateboards and bicycles, are heavily concentrated in Huntington Beach each year according to accidents maintained by the CHP. The community ranks second only to Anaheim in the number of pedestrian related accidents and injuries here in Orange County.
If you or someone you love is injured in an accident in Huntington Beach I invite you to call my firm for a free and comprehensive consultation at (949)305-1400. After more than 40 years as an injury attorney here in Orange County, I can tell you that visiting drivers are not prepared for the pedestrian traffic and stop-and-go patterns found here in Southern California, and I urge all of you to be extra careful this season.
