According to Seattle law enforcement, a Thursday night accident in South Seattle involving a van claimed the life of a pedestrian. 

The accident report shows that a man in a wheelchair was wheeling out into the crosswalk on the north side of Rainier Avenue South at Martin Luther King Jr. Way South when a van heading north drove up, hitting him. 

Witnesses told police the victim was trying to cross the street against the red pedestrian signal. 

After the crash, the 51-year-old victim was rushed to the hospital where he later died as a result of his injuries. 

Officials said the driver remained at the scene and cooperated with the authorities as they investigated. No other information regarding the accident was disclosed. 

As officials investigate, we can’t help but to think that pedestrian accidents remain a reason for concern. Especially when we analyze official pedestrian accident data coming from federal regulators. 

NHTSA: Fatal Pedestrian Accidents Account For 16% Of Traffic Fatalities

The last thorough study on pedestrian accidents carried out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) examined 2017 data to learn that 17% of all deadly traffic accidents involve pedestrians. 

While there was a 1.7% decrease in deadly pedestrian accidents in 2017 when compared to 2016’s numbers, 5,977 people were killed in pedestrian vs. auto accidents during 2017 alone. Sadly, nearly one-fifth (19%) of the children under 14 killed in traffic accidents then were pedestrians. 

While officials still haven’t fully researched the data for the last couple of years, these numbers show that too many pedestrians are still dying in traffic accidents. 

We hope that reports such as this help to remind both drivers and pedestrians that they should observe traffic rules to avoid collisions at all times. 

If you’re a driver, take the necessary precautions to prevent pedestrian accidents by staying alert, avoiding distractions, and approaching crosswalks with caution. 

For more on the South Seattle accident, follow this link for the full report.