Missouri ranks high in number of pedestrians killed on interstate highways

A St. Louis Post-Dispatch article reports on a AAA study into pedestrian deaths on interstate highways:

Hundreds of people who die in accidents each year on the nation's interstates are pedestrians. But Missouri had the eighth-highest rate of interstate pedestrian deaths in the country based on state population. . . .

AAA reports show that pedestrians on highways have been killed while trying to fix flat tires, repairing a broken-down car, or getting out of the car to look for something.

In one case AAA reported in the mid-1990s, a pedestrian was hit by a car while picking up aluminum cans on the road. Another driver was killed after pulling over to change seats with a passenger.

Note that the reports classifies as a pedestrian any person afoot--in other words, construction workers, people attempting to repair their broken down vehicles, and so on.