Texas
A new Texas law creates criminal penalties for negligent drivers who hit pedestrians
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Plano, TX – According to the officials, if a driver hits and injures someone in a crosswalk it’s a Class A misdemeanor, whether they’re walking or on a bike, golf cart or skateboard.
According to the new law, serious injuries or death can lead to two years in jail.
Senate Bill 1055 or the Lisa Torry Smith Act is named after a Houston-area woman who was struck and killed in a crosswalk nearly four years ago while walking her then six-year-old son to school.
Without being under the influence, the driver received a $54 fine for failing to yield.
At the time there was no Texas law to allow criminal charges. But, the Senate Bill 1055 changes that.
According to TxDOT, 700 pedestrians were killed statewide in 2020 along with 82 bicyclists.
This story will be updated as new information become available.