Another reminder of why we shouldn't ride on the sidewalk. (sorry couldn't resist the irony).
The sad truth is that there's little that can be done to prevent this kind of stuff. Vehicles have steadily improved the protection for their occupants who historically account for the greatest number of auto deaths. However, it's much harder to protect the victims of "collateral damage". In cities like NY where there's parallel parking on a large percentage of streets, the parked cars act as a buffer, but there's no way to line all out streets with crash barriers.
On the bright side (statistically, not to those involved) this kind of collateral damage death isn't all that common.
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Chain-L site
An ounce of diagnosis is worth a pound of cure.
Just because I'm tired of arguing, doesn't mean you're right.
“One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions” - Adm Grace Murray Hopper - USN
WARNING, I'm from New York. Thin skinned people should maintain safe distance.