70-year-old woman struck by delivery truck in Glendale

A 70-year-old woman suffered head injuries Tuesday after she allegedly stepped off a curb on Central Avenue and was struck by a refrigerated delivery truck, police said.

The unconscious woman, who hasn’t been identified, was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center and was in critical condition as of Tuesday evening, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

“Paramedics fear she has several broken bones in addition to her head injuries,” he said.

Witnesses told police the truck was traveling south on Central Avenue at about 25 mph in the second lane and was approaching the intersection at California Avenue when the woman stepped off the curb against a red light, Lorenz said.

The truck struck the woman, who was launched several feet and landed in the intersection at about 2:40 p.m., Lorenz said.

The truck driver immediately stopped at the scene.

There were 62 pedestrian-involved collisions in Glendale for the first seven months of this year, up from 50 for the same period last year, according to the Police Department.

More than 2,500 traffic accidents occurred in Glendale last year, according to the Police Department, and six were fatal. More than 100 crashes involved pedestrians, and 544 people were injured.

The Police Department’s year-end statistics showed more traffic-related fatalities than homicides last year in Glendale.

While fatalities were up last year, no traffic-related deaths have been reported so far this year, according to police statistics.

To reduce the number of major traffic collisions, the Police Department and city launched the public education campaign Driven 2 Distraction in November.

Police conducted pedestrian sting operations, speed enforcement, texting and cell-phone surveys and have handed out traffic safety brochures to residents and local businesses.

City crews also painted the word “Look” in three languages along various intersections to alert pedestrians to look before crossing Glendale streets.

In July, the California Office of Traffic Safety awarded Glendale a $200,000 grant for pedestrian education and speed distracted driving enforcement.