State officials say pedestrian fatalities are on the rise in Missouri. To date, 83 pedestrians have been killed in Missouri traffic crashes in 2016, according to the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. This equates to nearly 10% of all statewide traffic fatalities.
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There were no pedestrian accidents recorded in Daviess County this year; however, there have been several over the past years, including fatalities. The following accident summaries, pulled from the North Missourian archives, are not all-inclusive, but reveal some of the circumstances in which pedestrian accidents can occur — from people walking on the highway to suicide to broken-down vehicles on the side of the road.
Lonnie Yoder of Jamesport, was moderately injured when he was struck by a van as he was walking east on Route F outside of Jamesport in 2014.
Lucas P. Hoskins of Cameron was fatally injured when he intentionally ran in front of a southbound Chrysler PT Cruiser on Interstate 35 at the 81.2 mile marker in Daviess County in 2012.
A Jamesport man made a right turn onto private property and his pickup struck a pedestrian, Richard Danile of Jamesport in 2005. Mr. Danile had minor injuries.
Three tractor trailers and one pedestrian were involved in an accident in 2002 on I-35, 10 miles south of Bethany. The pedestrian Donald Cimfl of Rice Lake, Wisc., attempted to assist and was struck by unidentified debris.
In 2002, Joyce Dixon, 68, Jamesport, was fatally injured as she was walking southbound on the west edge of Route U, about three miles southeast of Jamesport. A 17-year-old from Birmingham, Mo., lost control as he rounded a corner. The car slid across the roadway and struck Mrs. Dixon.
A tow truck was parked and in process of winching a vehicle out of a ditch about a tenth of a mile west of Jamesport on Highway 6 in 2000, when a vehicle going west slid into the tow truck and the pedestrian, Chad Huston of Jamesport, received serious injuries.
An accident involving two vehicles, a tractor, and two pedestrians occurred in 2000 in Gallatin. A tractor was being pulled out of a ditch when a vehicle struck the tractor, a pickup and the pedestrian, Teddy Holcomb. Mr. Holcomb was taken to Cameron Community Hospital and released the same night.
Walking is an essential transportation mode for many Missourians. For transit or motor vehicle users, every trip begins and ends as a pedestrian. Public health, economic and environmental factors are elevating the importance of this mode. Many citizens do not have access to a personal vehicle, are not physically capable of driving, simply decide not to drive, or delay licensure.
“Motor vehicle crashes involving pedestrians don’t usually occur in extremely large numbers, but when a pedestrian is involved in a traffic crash, the potential for injury or death is much greater,” said MoDOT’s Director of Highway Safety Bill Whitfield. “It’s imperative that drivers and pedestrians use extreme caution at all times,” he said.
The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety offers the following tips to help eliminate pedestrian accidents.
Always stay inside a disabled vehicle if it is safe to do so, so the vehicle can protect you. The vehicle is much more visible to oncoming traffic than a pedestrian standing in the roadway.
Never walk distracted by texting, talking or using headphones.
Make yourself visible to motorists by wearing light colored clothing, and always make eye contact with drivers when possible.
Always use designated crosswalks and obey crosswalk signals when available.
Motorists should slow down and move over for any vehicles stopped on the shoulder, and assume someone may be walking near that vehicle.
Use extra caution and expect the unexpected.
Education to the general public about these dangers, and enforcement of traffic laws will help prevent pedestrian deaths. Engineering advancements such as design, lighting, installation of crosswalk signs, pavement markings, and mid-block crossing signals, are also being used statewide, along with new technological advancements.