FORT WORTH, TX (05/11/2016) — Kenneth Branch died at a local hospital after an SUV struck him on Wednesday afternoon.
Fort Worth police identified 79-year-old Kenneth Branch as the victim of a fatal auto-pedestrian accident that occurred at the intersection of East Lancaster Avenue and Sargent Street in Fort Worth, Texas.
According to MedStar spokesman Matt Zavadsky, Branch was struck by a black, Ford SUV at around 2:20 p.m. He was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital in critical condition, where he later died.
Fort Worth police spokesman Marc Povero stated in an email that the driver of the SUV had just left a blood donation center (Octapharma Plasma) after donating plasma, which might have caused him to become faint or lose consciousness while driving.
Police are currently investigating this fatal accident.
Commentary
If the driver responsible for the accident had indeed recently donated plasma, this brings up an interesting question regarding contributory negligence. Does the plasma donation center share a portion of liability for an accident caused by a recent donor, or is the driver 100% responsible?
As blood and plasma donations are known to cause dizziness and lightheadedness, I wonder if there are safeguards in place to make sure that donors are physically able to operate heavy machinery following a donation. Just as doctors whose patients undergo sedation have a legal duty to ensure the patient does not drive while still under the effect of the sedative, plasma donation centers may also share a similar responsibility.
We would like to extend our condolences to those affected by this accident, and hope that a very thorough investigation is undertaken.
