An auto-pedestrian accident on Sunday morning, September 27th, outside the Oakdale Family Church of the Nazarene, California, claimed one of the congregants’ lives. The accident report revealed that 69-year-old Gordon Gaines was the children’s church pastor, Marilyn, husband.

The incident happened around 10:15 a.m. on 1700 W.F. Street. The California Highway Patrol news release disclosed that 71-year-old Linda Smith, the driver of a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, was making a U-turn in the church’s parking lot when she suddenly accelerated.

The investigators said that the vehicle struck a metal support pole, then Gaines, who stood on a walkway. Smith then crashed into the west side of the church building. The victim died at the scene, while medics took the motorist to the hospital as a precaution.

The CHP said that the woman did not sustain any injury. There is no additional information on the occurrence.

Auto-pedestrian accidents are a menace on California roadways, and the problem is going from bad to worse. It is compounded by the fact that more people are walking to school, work, and the mall as an alternative to driving and a form of exercise.

While the fault in auto-pedestrian accidents lies mostly with drivers, pedestrians also play a role in the occurrence. Dangerous behaviors like jaywalking, texting while walking or driving, crossing outside sidewalks, and driving through without stopping cause collisions.

Drivers who disobey stop signs and pedestrians who fail to look both ways before crossing are also contributors. The two sides can mitigate crashes by practicing and promoting safe road behaviors.

Disclaimer: The Accident News article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.

The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Accident News’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.

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