multiple cities, January 1, 2026
Recent incidents across major cities highlight a troubling trend of pedestrian safety issues, with multiple fatalities and serious injuries reported in El Paso, Phoenix, San Antonio, and Queens. Authorities are investigating numerous accidents, including a fatal DUI incident in Phoenix and several hit-and-run cases in San Antonio. As urban centers face ongoing challenges to protect pedestrians, call for improved safety measures and public awareness is growing. The alarming statistics emphasize that nighttime conditions and direct vehicle strikes significantly contribute to pedestrian vulnerability on city streets.
Phoenix: Pedestrian Safety Crisis Continues as Fatalities and Injuries Mount Across Cities
Recent severe pedestrian incidents reported across major cities, including El Paso, Phoenix, San Antonio, and Queens, underscore a persistent and alarming trend of danger for individuals on foot. Just days into the new year, authorities are investigating a pedestrian being struck in El Paso, following a fatal incident in Phoenix involving a DUI suspect, and multiple serious injuries and a fatality in San Antonio and Queens respectively in late December 2025. These latest reports from the end of 2025 highlight an ongoing challenge in ensuring pedestrian safety across various urban centers.
Recent Incidents Highlight Ongoing Vulnerability
- El Paso Sees Latest Incidents: On December 30, 2025, El Paso police initiated an investigation into a pedestrian struck by a vehicle in the Lower Valley, with a Special Traffic Investigations Unit dispatched to the scene. This incident follows another on December 23, 2025, where a pedestrian was airlifted to a hospital after being hit by a vehicle in Northeast El Paso. In November 2025, a 58-year-old man died after being struck by a pickup truck in Downtown El Paso. Earlier in the year, serious injuries were reported after a two-vehicle crash in East El Paso, and two individuals were injured in an El Paso Upper Valley crash linked to a stolen vehicle.
- Phoenix Records Fatal Crash and Serious Injuries: Phoenix police are investigating a fatal pedestrian crash that occurred on December 27, 2025, near 36th Avenue and Northern Avenue. A man was struck by a vehicle while crossing Northern Avenue outside a designated crosswalk and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver remained at the scene and was processed for DUI, as impairment is suspected to be a factor in the crash. Earlier in 2025, a pedestrian was critically injured in Phoenix near 89th Lane and Indian School Road in early August. In January 2025, a pedestrian was severely injured in east Phoenix after being hit in a possible two-vehicle crash. Another busy intersection in south Phoenix reopened after a man was hit by a car early on a Wednesday morning, suffering serious injuries.
- San Antonio Reports Multiple Injuries, Hit-and-Runs: On December 14, 2025, three pedestrians were seriously injured over a two-hour span in three separate vehicle collisions in San Antonio. According to police reports, two of the drivers fled the scene without aiding the people they struck. In September 2025, a pedestrian was rushed to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries after being hit by a vehicle on the Southwest Side. In August, a woman was killed after being hit by a vehicle on the West Side.
- Queens Witnesses Fatalities and Multiple Casualties: A moped driver was charged on December 6, 2025, following a deadly pedestrian accident in Queens where a 68-year-old man, who was in a marked crosswalk, was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital. This incident follows a fatal chain-reaction crash in September 2025, where a pedestrian was killed and another injured. In August 2025, two pedestrians and a driver were killed when a speeding car slammed into a food truck in Queens, and a hit-and-run driver fatally struck a 52-year-old man near JFK Airport. Earlier in April 2025, multiple pedestrians were struck by drivers in two separate incidents, including a 7-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl who sustained leg injuries, with the 7-year-old also suffering a broken femur and head injury.
- Scottsdale Fatalities and Serious Injuries: In July 2025, a pedestrian was killed in a collision near Scottsdale Road and Fanfol Drive, with the incident happening just after 5:30 a.m.. In February 2025, a driver was arrested after allegedly hitting a pedestrian near 81st Street and Indian School Road who sustained life-threatening injuries. Another pedestrian suffered serious injuries in Scottsdale on January 2, 2025, following a vehicle collision.
Understanding Pedestrian Vulnerability and Contributing Factors
Across the United States, pedestrians consistently face a higher risk of severe injuries and fatalities in motor vehicle accidents compared to vehicle drivers. The sheer number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured in U.S. traffic collisions each year remains a significant concern, emphasizing the need for ongoing safety measures.
Several factors contribute to these severe outcomes. Notably, 67% of crashes where a pedestrian is killed or severely injured happen after dark. Furthermore, 51% of collisions involve a pedestrian being directly struck by a vehicle, highlighting the direct impact as a major factor in the severity of injuries. Even less severe pedestrian and bicyclist crashes with less severe injuries may be under-reported, according to a 2022 City of Phoenix Traffic Collision Summary.
Local Efforts and Persistent Challenges
Cities like San Antonio have identified specific high-risk areas, with Council District 1 experiencing the highest number of crashes resulting in a severe pedestrian injury. The ongoing investigations into recent incidents across these cities underscore the critical need for continued efforts in traffic safety, infrastructure improvements, and public awareness campaigns to protect vulnerable road users.
As communities continue to grow and transportation patterns evolve, ensuring the safety of pedestrians remains a paramount challenge. Authorities emphasize the importance of driver vigilance, pedestrian awareness, and adherence to traffic laws to mitigate the tragic consequences of these collisions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What recent pedestrian accidents have occurred?
- Recent severe pedestrian incidents reported across cities include a pedestrian struck in El Paso on December 30, 2025, a fatal pedestrian crash in Phoenix on December 27, 2025, three pedestrians seriously injured in San Antonio on December 14, 2025, and a deadly pedestrian accident in Queens on December 6, 2025. Other incidents in 2025 include a pedestrian airlifted to a hospital in Northeast El Paso on December 23, a 58-year-old man died after being struck in Downtown El Paso in November, a pedestrian with life-threatening injuries in San Antonio in September, a pedestrian killed and another injured in a chain-reaction crash in Queens in September, multiple fatalities in Queens in August, a pedestrian critically injured in Phoenix in August, a pedestrian killed in Scottsdale in July, two women seriously hurt in the Phoenix area in July, multiple pedestrians struck in Queens in April, a driver arrested after hitting a pedestrian in Scottsdale in February, and pedestrians severely injured in east Phoenix and Scottsdale in January.
- Why are pedestrians at high risk?
- Across the United States, pedestrians consistently face a higher risk of severe injuries and fatalities in motor vehicle accidents compared to vehicle drivers. The sheer number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured in U.S. traffic collisions each year remains a significant concern.
- What are some contributing factors to severe pedestrian crashes?
- Notably, 67% of crashes where a pedestrian is killed or severely injured happen after dark. Furthermore, 51% of collisions involve a pedestrian being directly struck by a vehicle.
- Is there a city in San Antonio with a higher rate of severe pedestrian injuries?
- Council District 1 in San Antonio had the highest number of crashes resulting in a severe injury.
- Are all pedestrian injuries reported accurately?
- Crashes involving pedestrian and bicyclist crashes with less severe injuries may be under-reported, according to a 2022 City of Phoenix Traffic Collision Summary.
Key Aspects of Pedestrian Safety
| Aspect | Detail | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Vulnerability | Pedestrians face higher severe injury and death rates than drivers in motor vehicle accidents. | Nationwide |
| Nighttime Crashes | 67% of fatal or severely injurious pedestrian-vehicle crashes occur after dark. | City-level (Vision Zero context) |
| Direct Impact | 51% of collisions involve a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle. | City-level (Vision Zero context) |
| Under-reporting | Less severe pedestrian and bicyclist injuries may be under-reported. | City-level (Phoenix) |
| High-Risk Areas | San Antonio’s Council District 1 shows a high number of crashes with severe pedestrian injuries. | City-level (San Antonio) |
Now Happening on X
- @FOX10Phoenix (December 30, 2025, 3:00 AM): Nightly roundup covers a missing 19-year-old believed to be in imminent danger and new details in a Pinetop woman’s murder case, highlighting ongoing public safety concerns in the Phoenix area. View on X
- @azcentral (December 28, 2025, 4:45 PM): A police investigation has shut down parts of Valley Metro light rail, disrupting local transportation and public safety in Phoenix. View on X
- @Darkhorse_lionheart (December 29, 2025, 10:48 PM): Phoenix Police SAU/SWAT team arrested a person of interest in a downtown shooting that injured four people, with one in critical condition, emphasizing active police investigations into recent violence. View on X
- @FOX10Phoenix (December 28, 2025, 3:00 AM): Nightly roundup includes a suspected drunken driver hitting and killing a pedestrian, linking to broader concerns about road safety and impaired driving in Phoenix. View on X
- @FOX10Phoenix (December 29, 2025, 3:00 AM): Multiple injuries reported in a downtown Phoenix shooting overnight, alongside an inmate killed in a Valley jail altercation, underscoring rising community safety issues. View on X
- @abc15 (December 28, 2025, 3:05 PM): Four people hospitalized after an early-morning shooting near 1st Street and Washington Street in downtown Phoenix, with one in life-threatening condition. View on X
- @12News (December 27, 2025, 10:06 PM): A Friday night altercation in Phoenix escalated into a shooting, leaving one person hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries as police continue their investigation. View on X
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Author: STAFF HERE PHOENIX WRITER
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