Twenty-one-year-old Elizabeth Lohmar, a hard-working senior at Valdosta State University, passed away early Saturday morning from injuries she sustained in a devastating pedestrian accident that took place last week. According to the Valdosta Police Department, Lohmar was crossing the road in the designated crosswalk area at the intersection of North Patterson Street and E. College Street, when she was struck by a Chevrolet Silverado driven by 21-year-old Michael Laslie, who was turning south on N. Patterson Street at the time. Lohmar suffered numerous injuries in the GA pedestrian accident, including injuries to soft tissue, broken bones, and other internal injuries requiring surgery. Although her condition after the accident was not considered life-threatening, Lohmar eventually succumbed to her injuries and died on February 8 – three days after being struck by Laslie’s vehicle.
Pedestrian Accident Injuries Prove to Be Fatal
According to officers on the scene of the pedestrian accident, which took place on February 5, Lohmar was using the crosswalk near the Valdosta State campus at about 12:37 p.m., and had the proper pedestrian light when she was struck by Laslie’s Silverado. Lohmar was transported to the South Georgia Medical Center emergency room in critical but stable condition, with the majority of her injuries being to soft tissue, and no spinal cord issues or major head trauma. She had a lung removed during what turned out to be multiple surgeries the day of the pedestrian accident, and she also suffered damage to her liver and spleen. Although Lohmar showed some improvement in the days following the tragic accident, her extensive injuries proved to be too much to recover from, and she passed away around 3 a.m. on Saturday, February 8.
Driver Charged with Vehicular Homicide
Laslie was initially charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, but since Lohmar’s death, the charges have been upgraded to homicide by vehicle in the 2nd degree – a misdemeanor offense in Georgia. An arrest warrant was issued for Laslie on Monday, February 10, and the 21-year-old turned himself in at the Lowndes County Jail the following day. “Being a college campus, we have a lot of pedestrians, a lot of students. For the most part they stay in the crosswalks, but we need motorists to be careful in that area, slow down, pay attention to where you’re going and watch what you’re doing,” said Lt. Aaron Kirk of the Valdosta Police Department following the fatal pedestrian accident.
Contact Our Pedestrian Accident Lawyers for Help
Prior to her death, Lohmar was an accomplished multi-sport athlete and excellent student cherished by her friends and family. Her death is a tragic reminder that even pedestrian crosswalks are dangerous, and that, all too often, pedestrians are not treated with the same respect as other vehicles on Georgia roadways. If you have suffered injuries in a pedestrian accident in Atlanta, Marietta, or elsewhere in Georgia, or if you lost a loved one in a fatal crosswalk accident, contact our knowledgeable attorneys at Rechtman & Spevak for legal help. Our law firm is located in Atlanta, and our lawyers have years of experience protecting the rights of pedestrian accident victims and their families throughout the state of Georgia.
Source: http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2014/feb/08/collins-hill-grad-lohmar-dies-after-pedestrian/
