Tragic Pedestrian Crash Kills One in Mathews, North Carolina (NC)

MATHEWS, NC- Wcnc.com writes that a pedestrian died this week in a tragic crash in Mathews. The incident occurred in the late evening on Interstate 74 in the inbound lanes. The accident led to the closure of parts of the interstate.*

Medical responders who were on the scene stated that the victim was declared dead at the site of the incident. The police also confirmed one person was killed in the collision.

The reports did not release information about the victim or the driver involved in the crash. 

Recent reports have indicated that North Carolina has suffered an increase in the number of deadly pedestrian collisions on its roads. Reports found an increase of 13.4 percent between 2017 and 2018. In 2018, 228 pedestrians were killed in North Carolina. The number of such crashes reached its lowest point in 2009 when 148 people died in the state. Since that time, the number has increased by about 54 percent. Population growth does little to explain the massive rise in pedestrian deaths as the number of fatalities rose by five times the rate at which the population grew. 

Nationally, similar trends are playing out. The number of fatal pedestrian crashes in the United States hit a low in 2009 with 4,109 fatalities. By 2018, the numbers rose to 6,227 deaths, which were the highest witnessed in 28 years. 

Unfortunately, the explanation is not a simple one, and there are a number of factors likely adding to the dangers on the road. Some major contributing factors include larger vehicles like SUVs and the frequent use of smartphones. One other possible cause is that people are walking rather than driving after drinking. While these individuals are trying to do the right thing, drunk people walking could be putting themselves at risk. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/fatal-pedestrian-accident-matthews-north-carolina/275-09be8d91-e1d8-4ce0-a7fa-c3171f34359c

https://www.newsobserver.com/article234368767.html