Pedestrian Killed in Crash on Highway 501 in Horry County, South Carolina

Horry County, S.C. – Wmbfnews.com writes that one person is dead following a crash that took place on Sunday morning on Highway 501 in Horry County. The victim, a 36-year-old man, was walking in the roadway just after 5:30 in the morning when he was hit by a van traveling on the on-ramp to River Oaks Road from Highway 501 North.*

The driver was not injured in the incident. Police are still investigating the cause of the accident. Charges are not expected to be filed against the driver. 

The number of pedestrians killed across the United States continues to increase. While vehicle deaths for people traveling in vehicles have decreased, the number of pedestrians killed has continued to climb. Part of the issue is likely the rising popularity of larger vehicles, such as SUVs and trucks. These bigger vehicles create greater risks for people on foot because of their larger size and weight. 

Not all of these accidents can be blamed entirely on drivers. Distractions such as smartphones are a problem for both drivers and those on foot as well. Alcohol is also a major contributing cause of many fatal pedestrian accidents, but the person who was imbibing is not always the person driving. Drunk pedestrians also lead to a high number of accidents by walking in or crossing roads where it is unsafe to do so. 

Of course, population growth is another contributing factor. More people using the roads, for walking, cycling, and driving, creates more opportunities for something to go wrong.

States and cities are increasingly aware of the issue, and experts have suggested increased safety measures are capable of greatly reducing the number of deadly traffic accidents, including pedestrian accidents, that occur across the country. 

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.

Source:https://www.wmbfnews.com/2019/09/22/one-killed-vehicle-vs-pedestrian-collision-highway/