Obviously, drivers should be conscious of yielding the right-of-way to other vehicles on the road. However, must also be aware of everything else that is happening around them – and not lose focus just because they may have a green light. Doing so could result in serious injury to others – or even death.

Tragically, that’s what happened on Tuesday morning in northeast Las Vegas. A 51-year old man was driving a pickup truck on Eastern Avenue about 7:30am. He had an unprotected green light, so he tried to make a left turn onto Cedar Avenue, which is about a block north of I-515. Unfortunately, a 31-year old female pedestrian was crossing Cedar in a marked crosswalk at the same time. The truck hit the woman and dragged her for several feet. She died instantly.

In this instance, the woman had the right-of-way because she had a green light, and the truck was required to yield the right-of-way to her when making a left turn. Authorities speculate that the driver was trying to speed through the cross traffic and did not see the woman until it was too late.

The 51-year old man has not yet been charged with a crime, but the family of the victim still appears to have solid grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit against him. Because the 30-year old woman leaves behind four children between the ages of 9 and 13, such a suit could yield compensation to provide for the future care of the kids. Damages for unearned future wages and burial expenses might also be awarded to the plaintiffs.