Benzonia Pedestrian Killed by Distracted Driver

[XLFD]

A vehicle leaves the road in Benzie County to strike a pedestrian walking on the shoulder.  This appears to be what the motorist admits, who does stop and call the authorities.  Yet even through this admission, and perhaps some witnesses of the facts of the matter, their name is withheld pending the result of an investigation as to whether there were other factors involved in the crash. 

A Beulah man was driving an SUV Saturday night [8-09-2014] along Homestead Road, just east of Eldridge Road, when he struck Carol Lynn Larson, 50.

The driver notified authorities, who found Larson dead when they arrived at the scene, said Benzie County Sheriff Ted Schendel.

"Apparently she was walking along the side of the road," Schendel said. (The driver) may have been looking down or wasn’t paying attention and veered off to the right and struck her."

Schendel would not release the driver's name because the investigation is ongoing. He said the department is trying to find witnesses and awaiting toxicology reports. 

http://www.record-eagle.com/news/local_news/article_dcc4ba43-e3c1-5...

Upnorth Live adds  "The driver, a 42-year-old Beulah resident, was traveling east bound on Homestead Road while the victim was walking on the south shoulder of the roadway.

Benzie County Sheriff's Deputies say speed, alcohol and drugs do not appear to be factors in the incident."

The above picture of the incident scene shows that there is an ample shoulder on the road where Carol Larsen was struck.  No so-called news source tells when this incident happened other than at night, so it's difficult to make any conclusion about whether darkness was a factor, or whether it was still light out.  But according to the deputies, the driver was distracted, moved off the road, and struck dead an individual lawfully walking on the shoulder. 

Why is it that people can do such actions with cars against bicyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians and get away with homicide, while if they did the same thing against another car, or did similar negligent actions with a gun or knife, they would be placed in jail and have their name in the headlines?  The laws need to protect the vulnerable users of the road, not victimize them.