Jesus Maldonado Killed in Pedestrian Accident in Weslaco, TX
Weslaco, TX -- December 27, 2022, Jesus Maldonado was killed due to an accident where a vehicle struck him in the roadway.
Initial details released said that the incident happened in the area of FM 88 North and Mile 11 Road at around 6:30 p.m. The exact series of events remains under investigation at this time. They say only that 75-year-old Jesus Maldonado was walking on FM 88 when a northbound Ford Mustang struck him. This resulted in fatal injuries.
Reports did not give further information, including additional details about the driver involved. Frankly, that's not that unusual. The news doesn't pay much attention to pedestrian accidents because they assume they're all pretty straight forward. If the victim wasn't in a crosswalk, they're to blame, right? Well, that's not always true.
Obviously, whether or not someone had the right-of-way is always an important detail to consider. But the law is nuanced when it comes to the responsibility drivers owe to pedestrians. For example, if a person is in the middle of the road, but they're clearly visible and reasonably avoidable, drivers have a duty to avoid them. They don't get some sort of free pass to run someone down just because they technically have the right of way.
Now, I can't say one way or the other how that all applies here. Perhaps the incident was avoidable, and perhaps it wasn't. My primary concern when families come to me with incidents similar to this one is to make sure they're getting all the facts. Considering a man lost his life here, I'd say that's the least that could be done. Whether or not authorities have taken those steps remains to be seen.
[jump]
