Mother Pushes Son Out of Way Before Big-rig Hits Her in Downtown Fresno

Yesterday morning, a mother pushed her son out of the way before a big-rig struck and injured her in downtown Fresno, The Fresno Bee reports. The big-rig ran over the woman on May 25, 2012 on E Street at Fresno Street a little before 9:00 a.m.

Shell tanker truck.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to witnesses, the woman, 30-year-old Alicia Dougherty, may have saved her son’s life. The two-year-old boy was also injured, with a cut to his right foot, police said.

The Bee reports that a woman who witnessed the collision, Stephanie Gonzalez, stopped her car and rushed to help the injured woman and child. Gonzalez said the woman was crying for her baby and the woman said that the truck almost got him and she saved him.

Responders took the injured pair to Community Regional Medical Center. The Bee reports that police and witnesses said the woman had the right of way as she crossed the street. The truck, heading southbound on E Street, made a right turn to Fresno Street and hit the woman where she was walking in the crosswalk.

The Bee reports that Joe Ploharz, a Fresno police officer, said it was likely that driver of the truck didn’t see the woman who was walking because the height of the truck obscured his vision.

According to several people, including Gonzalez, The Bee reports, the truck driver was said to be on a cell phone as he made the turn, but Ploharz did not hear that from witnesses he interviewed, he said.

Tejpal Sandhu, a resident of Newark and the driver of the truck, was cited for failing to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk, police said. The news story explains that after the truck hit the woman, the driver back up, and unintentionally rolled a front wheel of the big-rig back over the woman. The victim had tire marks on her leg, The Bee reports, and she and her son lay crying in the street.

Gonzalez said the tire was already running over the woman and her baby, and the woman grabbed him and slid him over.

If you, or someone you love, have been injured by a negligent or unaware big-rig driver, then you should call a big-rig accident lawyer. The roads surrounding Fresno and throughout Northern California are some of the busiest traffic corridors in the United States, and some of the most dangerous. Our Fresno big-rig accident lawyer can help you, and your family, win the maximum compensation that you deserve for you emotional, physical and financial suffering. We are well-equipped to fight the insurance companies and other parties on your behalf. Call today for your free evaluation!

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