TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It was about 2 months ago on the intersection of Oracle and Grant Roads in Tucson that a woman said she got hit by a car while on a crosswalk to Circle K.
She wants to stay anonymous, but is urging drivers to be more cautious when driving around pedestrians.
“If drivers would slow down and be more cautious instead of being on their cell phones and doing other stupid things, there’d be a lot less problems,” she said.
The Tucson Police Department said in 2021 there were 80 traffic-related deaths and 33 of those were pedestrians.
They said so far this year, there’s been 85 traffic-related deaths and said 41 of those were pedestrians.
They said collisions usually happen on roadways with 4 to 6 lanes going East and West or North and South.
However, the said they’re not all caused by drivers. TPD said they’ve been starting to see more incidents where it was the pedestrian’s fault.
“So they are not in a marked crosswalk, they are traveling in the middle of the night. Cars are unable to see them until it’s too late and a lot of them are wearing darker clothing as well,” Lieutenant Lauren Petty said.
She said in order to help curb those deaths, TPD partnered with Banner Health’s university Medical Center and distributed reflective backpacks in areas that are the most affected by pedestrian deaths.
She said TPD is also hoping a $15 thousand grant they got through the governor’s office will help stop pedestrian deaths. They’re going to be using the money to patrol areas with the most pedestrian deaths, like Grant and Oracle, more often. She also said they’re going to be using the money for educational outreach.
Shelly Nelson is a Tucson resident who walks down Oracle and Grant Roads to get to her home. She said she’s seen a motorist get struck by a car and die.
She recommends people make their presence known when crossing the street.
“After dark, you should have light on you, a flashlight in your hand or the light on your phone,” Nelson said.
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
