Anaheim: Drunk Driver Fatally Struck Pedestrian Everardo Tapia

Some time around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 11^th, a drunk driver fatally struck 58-year-old Everardo Tapia while he was crossing Rio Vista Street in Anaheim. The driver was traveling south on Rio Vista when he collided with Tapia, who was approximately 30-40 feet from Hempstead Street. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital where he died from his injuries, explains an Orange County injury lawyer. Anyone with information about this pedestrian accident has been asked to call traffic investigators at 714-765-1861.

In the United States, someone dies every 45 minutes in an alcohol-related motor vehicle crash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nearly 32% of all fatal traffic accidents were attributable to impaired driving in 2008, with 11,773 deaths recorded that year. With an annual cost of $51 billion, many states have began mandating that first-time and repeat DUI offenders install ignition interlock devices in their vehicles. 

A driver must yield for a pedestrian, even if that person is not in a crosswalk. In the event that a driver’s failure to stop results in an accident, the driver may be held liable for any medical expenses and losses related to the pedestrian’s injury. If the pedestrian does not survive the accident, his or her family may file a wrongful death claim against the driver, as well as seek punitive damages. 

Everyone at Allen, Flatt, Ballidis, and Leslie would like to offer their condolences to the family of Everardo Tapia, the man fatally struck by a drunk driver last night. 

The Orange County Register originally reported this Anaheim pedestrian accident.

Additional information, including links to pedestrian advocacy groups and articles on pedestrian rights, and accident and wrongful death claims, is available to the public free of charge.

If you would like to request an article or a book, or to speak with an Orange County injury lawyer, feel free to call 866-981-5596.