Beware the Ides of March.

The foreboding line in the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar is mostly a trite little caution in today’s parlance. But for two people, the phrase held some weight today after they were both victimized in auto-pedestrian accidents within 90 minutes of each other in the valley.

Shortly after 6am, a man was reportedly walking on a sidewalk along Las Vegas Boulevard near Washington Avenue. Though it’s not yet clear how it happened, a truck struck the man and then fled the scene. The man succumbed to his injuries. Police are looking for the truck and its driver.

Then right after 7:15am, another pedestrian was hit by a car in the east valley. The incident took place near the intersection of East Sloan Lane and East Sahara Avenue just east of Winterwood Golf Course. The victim was a minor who was reportedly transported to Sunrise Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. Metro Police are investigating what caused the accident, although the driver involved did remain at the scene.

It’s too early to tell whether the driver involved in the injury auto-pedestrian accident was at fault, since we don’t know whether the child was walking in or out of a crosswalk or along the side of the roadway. However, the circumstances of the fatal auto-pedestrian accident appear to be more clear cut. Since the victim was on a sidewalk at the time of impact, it’s almost certain that the driver of the truck will be held completely liable for the resulting fatality. As a result, the victim’s family members could file a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the truck – if and when he/she is apprehended by police.