Pedestrian Killed in Tragic Crash on NC Highway 52.I-285 in Davidson County, North Carolina (NC)

DAVIDSON COUNTY, NC - The-dispatch.com writes that a pedestrian died this week in a crash on NC Highway 52/I-285 in the early morning. Police received a call stating that a person was weaving in and out of the southbound traffic lanes. By the time officers were able to respond to the scene, the individual had been struck and killed by a large truck.*

The name of the victim has not been released at this time. Investigators stated that they do not suspect that speeding was a factor in the tragic incident. The collision is still under investigation.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) writes that over 2,000 people are struck by cars in North Carolina every year. Of that total, an average of 150 to 200 are killed, and hundreds more are injured. 

Pedestrian fatalities in the state are rising each year. According to the Division of Motor Vehicles, the number of fatal pedestrian crashes increased in 2018 by 13.4 percent, with a total of 228 people killed. 

In 2009, the state hit its lowest number of fatal pedestrian incidents, with 148 deaths. Since then, these tragedies have risen by 54 percent. The increase in pedestrian deaths in the state has occurred at five times the rate at which the population grew during the same period. 

Nationally, the number of pedestrian fatalities has also been on the rise. 

Safety advocates say that the high number of people being killed in such instances should be alarming to the public, and efforts should be made to bring the number of such tragedies down. 

When it comes to explaining the higher numbers of pedestrian fatalities, there are a number of likely contributing factors. SUVs are now the car of choice for many Americans, and studies suggest that the larger size of these vehicles is leading a greater risk of fatal injuries for pedestrians. Cell phones are another issue as they lead to distractions for drivers and people walking. 

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 a 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.the-dispatch.com/news/20200630/pedestrian-killed-in-traffic-crash-tuesday-morning

http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/pbcat_nc/_ped.cfm

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