Pedestrian struck and killed on Roosevelt Boulevard

The Roosevelt Boulevard claimed another victim this year. On Sunday afternoon April 23rd, 69-year-old Melford Pinckney was crossing the roadway around the 4000 block of the Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia, when he was struck by an SUV traveling southbound, police said. The driver of the SUV remained at the scene of the accident as Mr. Pinckney was transported to Einstein Medical Center where he was pronounced dead shortly after.

Pedestrian accidents and car crashes on the Roosevelt Boulevard continue to be a concern. In the last five years, the Boulevard witnessed 3,000 crashes resulting in over 50 deaths as well as a large number of pedestrian fatalities. This 12-lane death trap, described by residents of the area as a “safety gamble” when crossing at any intersection, is certainly in need of work and safety measures to prevent these sort of casualties.

At a State level, a study by The State Transportation Advisory Committee highlights the fact that pedestrian fatalities in the state of Pennsylvania are have leveled over the past decades, crediting PennDOT’s “walkable communities” initiative for the progress made.  At the local level, in efforts to address the specific issue of pedestrian fatalities and crashes along the Roosevelt Boulevard, in 2016, City officials, launched “Route for Change” a three year $5M Plan funded by USDOT TIGER planning grant, The City of Philadelphia, PennDOT, and SEPTA. Let’s hope that these efforts help improve the overall safety of those putting their life at risk while simply trying to cross a street.

Jason A. Daria a Partner at Feldman Shepherd has been litigating Pedestrian Fatality cases for many years, he wrote in his Op-Ed article, 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.”

After those two accidents and in part due to the lawsuits Feldman Shepherd brought on behalf of these victims, City Controller Alan Butkowitz wrote an urgent letter to Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation calling for immediate safety improvements along the Boulevard including the elimination of all pedestrian crossings without signals, and now, years later, we are still facing the same issues. How many more lives do we have to lose on this road for our City government to walk the walk instead of just talking the talk.

Philadelphia 2035, an organization tracking and reporting on implementation of any City projects, reports that the work to build new transit stations and other infrastructure to make the Boulevard safer, is a work in progress, The City, in conjunction with DVRPC, has hired a consultant to perform a feasibility study. Let’s just hope this all happens before more lives are lost.

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 Mid-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

If you or a loved one suffered a pedestrian accident, the Feldman Shepherd Team is here to help. Please contact us at 215-567-8300 or email info@feldmanshepherd.com. You can also email Jason A. Daria directly at jdaria@feldmanshepherd.com