Roosevelt Boulevard claims another pedestrian life

At 12:30am on Wednesday, June 28th, 2017, 35-year-old Errol Catchings was fatally struck by two vehicles on Roosevelt Boulevard. The accident occurred near Wyoming Avenue, at the border of the Hunting Park and Olney neighborhoods, when Catchings walked off the curb into traffic, police said. Both drivers remained at the scene. Catchings was transported to Einstein Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 12:51am after suffering massive head trauma.

This fatality comes just two months after the death of 69-year-old pedestrian Melford Pinckney, who was also struck while crossing the 4000 block of Roosevelt Boulevard on Sunday, April 23^rd, 2017. Following the incident, Feldman Shepherd discussed the fact that some intersections of the boulevard are a death trap for pedestrians. In response, the city launched the initiative “Route for Change.” Route for Change is a 3 year, $5M plan to help make changes to Roosevelt Boulevard in hopes of improving pedestrian safety. Significant progress has yet to be seen as the Boulevard continues to claim lives.

Jason A. Daria, a Partner at Feldman Shepherd, who has been handling Pedestrian Fatality cases for many years,  wrote an Op-Ed article on the subject, published in the Inquirer back in 2013:

“My concern about this issue dates back to February 2000 when a 13-year-old was hit as he attempted to cross 12-lanes of Boulevard traffic near St. Vincent Street. He suffered traumatic injuries, including permanent brain damage. Four years later, on Easter Sunday, another 13- year-old attempted to cross near Princeton Avenue. She was struck and killed. I was the attorney for each of those families. While we successfully settled both cases out of court, I can assure you there is no victory for any family that loses a child.”

Here is a list of Jason A. Daria Pedestrian Accident Cases:

Current Cases: 

Mother and three children struck and killed by a car on Roosevelt Boulevard
27-year old mother and 3 of her children were struck and killed by a vehicle, July of 2013 while attempting to cross Roosevelt Boulevard. This case is currently being litigated and expected to get a trial in early 2018.

20-year-old college student struck and killed by a vehicle on Roosevelt Boulevard
Jason was recently retained by the family of a college student who was struck and killed while crossing the Boulevard at Bingham Street in May 2016.

Settlements:

$1 Million Settlement for Teenager Injured Crossing Mind-Block Cross Walk on Roosevelt Boulevard

An 8th-grade student was injured when he was struck crossing Roosevelt Boulevard at a dangerous mid-block crosswalk which had no traffic control to regulate traffic. Attorneys Roberta Pichini and Jason Daria represented this young teenager. Read More

$900,000 Settlement for Teenager Struck and Killed While Crossing Roosevelt Boulevard

Attorneys Roberta D. Pichini and Jason A. Daria represented a second mid-block crosswalk case—this time resulting in death—obtaining a settlement of $900,000 for the mother of a 13-year-old girl killed on Roosevelt Boulevard. Read More