Roundup of recent Missouri pedestrian injuries and fatalities

Nov 2, 2006: Vigil for anniversary of death of disabled St. Louis woman killed because of poor sidewalks. St. Louis's Paraquad is also protesting a new MetroLink station that is not accessible for those with disabilities.

Nov 1: Springfield pedestrian killed Halloween night.

Oct 28: Manslaughter charges in Columbia pedestrian death, alchohol contributing factor.

Oct 25: Pedestrian injured near Neosho.

Oct 23: 17 year old Chillicoth man struck by car.

Oct 21: Pedestrian seriously injured while walking along Northshore Drive in Lake Ozark.

Oct 19: Pedestrian killed by heavy truck on MO 79 three miles from Hannibal.

Oct 19: Florrisant pedestrian killed.

Oct 17: Driver who hit four Alton, IL, schoolchildren charged with driving under the influence of cocaine.

Oct 17: Tractor trailer struck and killed a pedestrian seven miles from Marshfield in Webster County.

Oct 12: Pedestrian killed on MO 43 four miles south of Joplin.

And then there is the rash of children walking to school and other pedestrians recently injured or killed in Springfield.

On a preventive note: Kansas City and Raytown city councils declare October Pedestrian Safety Month.

For perspective, over the years 2002-2005 Missouri averaged 84 pedestrian deaths per year.

The number of pedestrians killed while walking along highways in rural areas is remarkable.

And what is it with phrases like "pedestrian who walked into her path"--it or some variant appears several times in the articles above, especially in the situations where pedestrians are killed on rural highways.

Do pedestrian just go strolling out into the middle of a high-speed highway?

Or is it more likely that the pedestrians were walking along the highway--usually more or less in the lane because MoDOT has forgotten to include shoulders on most of these roads--and motorists travelling at high speed didn't notice them until the last moment?

And what kind of person would be walking way out there anyway?

Well, probably the kind that has somewhere to go and no other options.

Another reason for MoDOT and other DOTs to plan for non-motorized traffic--on every road and in every place.

Note: This is not a complete list--it includes only those incidents which have been mentioned in newspaper articles available via search.