Over the past 15 days, Virginia State Police say 11 pedestrians were killed in crashes across the state, as of Monday.
Matthew Demlein, a public relations manager with Virginia State Police, told WTOP that Prince William, Fairfax and Loudoun Counties are among those that have recorded pedestrian fatalities. There have been 20 pedestrian deaths recorded so far this year.
“There really hasn’t been a pattern,” Demlein said. The crashes have occurred “in all types of conditions.”
Lt. Jonathan Perok, with the Prince William County Police Department wrote in an email to WTOP that there have been three pedestrian deaths on county roads since the start of the year. Two involved pedestrians “wearing all-dark clothing and crossing outside of a crosswalk during night or dim hours,” Perok said.
None of the Prince William County fatalities were in parking lots, and all were on state-maintained roads, according to Perok.
In Fairfax County, two fatal crashes involving pedestrians took place on the Richmond Highway corridor. In both cases, the pedestrian who was fatally struck was outside of the crosswalk, according to an email to WTOP from Fairfax County police.
Virginia State Police urged drivers to exercise caution in areas where they can expect to see pedestrians, like school zones or crosswalks, said Demlein.
“Never pass another car near a crosswalk because you don’t know why that car is stopped. There may be someone in the crosswalk,” Demlein said.
If there’s a pedestrian crossing, Demlein said a driver looking to overtake another car wouldn’t see that pedestrian “until the last moment.”
Demlein said Virginia State Police recommends that pedestrians dress in lighter colored clothing so they’re visible at night, but that they should not assume that drivers see them. Police also say pedestrians should cross in the crosswalk at intersections and check for turning vehicles.
In 2023, according to what Virginia State Police say is “preliminary data,” 118 pedestrians died in crashes in Virginia.
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