COLUMBIA, S.C. — In the past three days, three pedestrians have been hit and killed across the Midlands. One of them was just 17 years old, over in Lexington County.
The other two pedestrian deaths were in Sumter and Kershaw counties.
“We’ve had 3 this weekend, and I think, you know, the weather's warmer so there's going to be a lot more people walking, whether it's for recreational purposes or if it's getting them from point A to point B,” said William Bennett, Master Trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
Bennett said that summer tends to be when they see increased pedestrian fatalities.
According to the South Carolina Highway Patrol dashboard, there have been 51 pedestrian fatalities across the state since the beginning of the year, down from this time last year, when 77 people were struck and killed.
“Most of them occur in the late night hours when it's dark, about all of them the pedestrians are wearing dark clothing, I think it happens more probably in the rural communities where you've got a convenience store is down the road a mile, where people don’t have transportation and they are walking to and from,” said Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker.
According to Smart Growth America, Columbia ranks 12th out of 101 metro areas in the United States in pedestrian fatalities from 2018-2022 at a rate per 100,000 people.
News19 contacted the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) about ways it is working to improve pedestrian safety.
In a statement, the agency said:
“...Each year, SCDOT invests $135 million in road safety projects, with $10 million of that dedicated to projects for vulnerable road users (bicyclists and pedestrians)."
Bennett said drivers and pedestrians must be mindful not only during the summer but also year-round.
“I think if you are driving, you need to make sure you are focused on obeying the speed limit that's really important, especially in dusk and dawn, when it’s harder to see," Bennett said. "You've really got to be on the lookout for people who may be walking. As far as pedestrians, just make sure if you are out walking around dusk or dawn, that you wear reflective material on your body somewhere that can help you be seen, and make sure you are yielding to traffic before you cross the street unless there is a crosswalk. You've got to yield, traffic has the right of way.”
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is still investigating the deadly crash that killed the 17-year-old, as well as the accident in Sumter County.