The first pedestrian to fall victim to a car accident in the history of mankind was a woman and was 44 years old. It was England's Bridget Driscoll.
August 17, 1896…
The unfortunate 44-year-old was in London with her 16-year-old daughter for a religious ceremony. As he was trying to cross the street - he was in the area of Crystal Palace - he was hit by a car, driven by Arthur Ensol.
Bridget Driscoll's death was instantaneous, while her daughter was seriously injured but survived.
The car belonged to the Anglo-French Motor Carriage Company, which used it as a demonstration vehicle. The speed of the car at the time of the accident was 6 km / h, according to the driver's statement to the police, although the passenger Alice Standing claimed that Enzol had "damaged" the engine and the car was running at a higher speed.
A passing taxi driver testified that the speed of the car did not exceed 7 km / h, while an eyewitness spoke about a car, which "was moving dangerously like a fire truck".
The London judicial authorities that dealt with the case considered Driscoll's death an "accidental event" and did not prosecute the driver of the vehicle.
Medical examiner Percy Morrison then wished: "Such an accident will never happen again." We have all made the same wish hundreds of times, but unfortunately, since then, thousands of people have been killed in a car accident.
Source: ant1iwo.com