A young teen appears to have died in a pedestrian accident that occurred last week in a town located a little over an hour outside of Pittsburgh. Though the specific details of the accident are not known, according to the Sugarcreek Township police, the 13-year-old girl was struck by a car shortly before 10:00 p.m.

After the accident, the girl was transported, via emergency helicopter, to a hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment. Sadly the Rocky Grove Middle School student died there the following day.

As is often the case after a fatal car accident occurs, in addition to an investigation, the accident is being reconstructed to try to determine exactly what happened. Both Sugarcreek Township police and Pennsylvania state police are involved in the investigation.

When a pedestrian goes up against a motor vehicle of any type, the odds are incredibly good that the individual who is hit will be injured. The severity of the injuries varies as a result of things such as the size of the car and how fast it was going at the time of impact. Injuries such as traumatic brain injuries and spinal injuries are particularly likely in this type of accident due to the lack of protection an average pedestrian has as he or she walks down the street.

It is unclear what caused the vehicle to actually hit the pedestrian. The driver may have been distracted by something else. In the alternative, he or she may not have seen the young girl walking. Whatever the reason, all would likely agree that the loss of her young life is tragically premature.

Source: The Republic, “Police continuing to investigate, reconstruct accident that killed girl pedestrian, 13,” The Associated Press, Feb. 26, 2012