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Driver Charged in Deadly Jersey City Pedestrian Crash

by Richard J. Banta | Aug 18, 2020 | Uncategorized

Personal Injury Lawyer

A driver who hit and killed a pedestrian is facing upgraded charges, according to New Jersey.com (https://www.nj.com/hudson/2020/07/driver-who-fatally-struck-jersey-city-pedestrian-facing-upgraded-charge-prosecutor.html).

25-year-old Bahsil Marsh, from Jersey City, was originally charged with DWI and causing a death while driving a vehicle on a suspended license in the third degree in relation to the death of 21-year-old Charnell Lytch. Now, after a police investigation, he’s facing an even more serious charge of death caused by an automobile in the second degree.

Marsh, who is currently being held in the Hudson County Jail, hit Lytch with his 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the early hours of July 26, 2020. According to police, he saw some friends and did a u-turn to meet them, crossing over the double yellow lines and striking the young woman as she crossed the street.

Emergency crews were called to the scene, but Marsh took Lytch to the hospital himself in the same vehicle she was struck with. It’s still unclear why this happened.

The driver remained at the hospital while the victim was being treated for multiple serious injuries. She was pronounced dead in the afternoon. Police then tested Marsh’s blood alcohol level and found he was well over the limit.

This case marks the 15th death involving a car in Hudson County for the year. In 2019, the same county had 19 roadway deaths.

Unfortunately, pedestrian deaths are on an upward trend nationwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2017—the latest year for which data is available—approximately one pedestrian was killed by a vehicle every 88 minutes nationwide (https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/pedestrian_safety/index.html). For every trip, a pedestrian is about 1.5 times more likely than a person inside of a vehicle to be killed in an auto crash.

There is no one cause that is directly tied to the distinct rise in fatal auto-pedestrian accidents. Instead, it appears to be a mix of factors.

Roadway design, for example, is a factor in places where the roads were designed for cars but more people are now walking. Distracted driving, which involves any behavior that takes a person’s focus off of the road, has become more common with the increased number of gadgets in today’s cars and the public’s increasing reliance on mobile devices.

Even when pedestrians follow all of the safety rules, there’s always a chance a driver will speed, not pay attention or break traffic rules, and this often has serious consequences for the person on foot. When a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, it’s always the pedestrian who is more at risk for serious injury due to the difference in speeds, weight and protection between a car and a human being.

If you’ve been the victim of an auto-pedestrian accident, you have rights and might be entitled to compensation for your losses, suffering and pain related to the accident. Don’t struggle with the medical bills and other losses associated with your injury from your accident. Consult with our personal injury lawyer in Denver, CO from The Law Office of Richard J. Banta, P.C., about what happened as soon as you can.