In our previous post, we discussed the new research report released by the Governors’ Highway Safety Association (GHSA) regarding pedestrian fatalities.
The GHSA is warning Americans that for the second straight year, a record number of pedestrians died in motor vehicle accidents. Overall, 16% of fatal traffic accidents in this country involve a pedestrian death.
The Danger of Being Hurt or Killed While Walking in Indiana or Illinois
Of course, this new report deals with death and fatality statistics. The concern of safety advocates focuses on this new trend in traffic fatalities, which developed over the past two years.
People walking on foot in the United States today are at a greater risk of being killed in a collision than pedestrians have faced in over three decades.
The report deals with pedestrian fatalities at a national level. There remains the question of how many pedestrians are being hit by motor vehicles and suffering serious injuries and permanent harm while surviving the crash? And how bad is the danger facing pedestrians in our part of the country?
Recent Pedestrian Accidents in Indiana and Illinois
Our local communities are not immune to the growing danger of a pedestrian being seriously injured or killed in a traffic accident. Consider the following examples from February 2018:
1. Car Trouble on I-194: Pedestrian Hit by Two Trucks
Last month, a man hailing from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, was driving north on I-194 when reports are he lost control of his car and hit the interstate guardrail. The car came to a stop, and the driver got out of his vehicle. While on foot, the driver was hit by two trucks, a box truck and a semi-truck. He survived the impact but suffered what is reported as “life-threatening injuries.”
2. Crossing the Street in Early Evening, Illinois Woman Hit by Mazda
Two weeks later, another Illinois pedestrian was involved in a motor vehicle accident. In Park Ridge, a woman was crossing Potter Road a little after six o’clock in the evening. As she was crossing the street, a Chicago man driving his Mazda struck the woman, seriously injuring her. She died of her injuries later that evening. Police are investigating the incident; reports are that the woman was not crossing the street at the corner crosswalk.
3. Indiana Pedestrian Hit And Run On A Saturday Morning
Four weeks ago, police officers from the Highland Police Department were called to the corner of Highway and Kennedy in Highland, Indiana. It was very early on a Saturday, a little after two o’clock in the morning.
The Highland police officers discovered a pedestrian had been hit by a motor vehicle and seriously injured. He was alive upon their arrival but later succumbed to his injuries.
4. Two Pedestrian Accidents on State Road 135 in Greenwood, Indiana
Two separate pedestrian accidents happened last month in Greenwood, Indiana, along the same roadway within 10 days of each other.
The first involved a woman crossing State Road 135 early on a Monday morning (around 6:30) when she was hit by a car. She survived the impact of the collision but suffered serious head trauma; she was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
A few days later and within 500 feet of this pedestrian accident site, another person on foot was hit by a moving vehicle. This second pedestrian accident happened around the same time of the morning, too.
In this second pedestrian accident, a man was walking on foot when he was hit by a car at the intersection of State Road 135 and Honey Lane. He also sustained serious injuries in the accident.
Reports are that Greenwood’s Mayor and others are calling for safety changes to be made along this section of State Road 135.
Indiana and Illinois Pedestrian Fatality Rates
According to the GHSA report, both Indiana and Illinois have a fatality rate that is higher than some states, but lower than the most dangerous states for pedestrians. (They are New Mexico, Florida, and South Carolina.) Indiana’s state-wide pedestrian fatality rate is 1.28. Illinois’ state-wide pedestrian fatality rate is 1.15.
However, within state boundaries, some areas are shockingly high in pedestrian deaths. Illinois’ Cook County is one of the top counties in the nation ranked for pedestrian fatalities. And Indiana’s danger to those walking on foot has skyrocketed in the past year.
The Chicago area ranks 6th in the nation for fatal pedestrian accidents. Report, page 8.
Another concern: Indiana’s state-wide pedestrian fatality rate jumped 50% from 2016 to 2017. Report, page 15.
Pedestrian Accidents: Justice for Those Hit by a Vehicle While on Foot
Despite this growing danger, and news reports in our area of serious pedestrian accidents on almost a weekly basis, many are not concerned with being hit by a car while walking.
Many of our friends and loved ones consider pedestrians in Indiana and Illinois to be safe as they walk alongside our local roads, streets, or highways, as well as inside parking garages or across parking lots.
This is no longer true, and the risk of a serious or deadly accident is very real today for Hoosiers of all ages as well as those living or working in Illinois.
Both Indiana and Illinois have legal avenues in place for those pedestrian accident victims and their families to seek redress and compensation from those who are responsible for the collision. Personal injury laws provide coverage for things like medical expenses, lost wages, and long term care needs. Wrongful death statutes are in place for those grieving the loss of their spouse, child, or parent.
For more information, see:
- Protecting against a Fatal Pedestrian Accident in Indiana and Illinois
- Fighting Against Pedestrian Accidents in Indiana and Illinois
- Pedestrian Safety: Traffic Accidents Killing Pedestrians Every 2 Hours
It’s important that we share the concern of safety advocates about the rising danger of pedestrian accidents in Indiana and Illinois. Let’s be careful out there!
