Toddler killed in Tempe parking lot

[update: confirming 2018-06-25 was not listed in FARS. What’s odd is it’s not listed in ASDM either?]

ped fatality in apt complex; victim 3 yo girl.  Occurred in the parking lot of apartment complex near University Drive and Rural Road around 2 p.m. June 25, 2018

It’s been widely noted that AZ has a growing and worsening ped traffic fatality “problem”; fortunately this one doesn’t count (yes, this is sarcasm, but nevertheless true)… because it happened in a private lot, it’s non-traffic and as such doesn’t count as a traffic fatality; DUI or otherwise. (similar to e.g. little Daylin Garcia Enos who was killed in a Tucson apt complex parking lot by a backing UPS truck)

Continue reading “Toddler killed in Tempe parking lot”

More sidewalk driving

Baseline and 7th Street, Phoenix.

6/24/2018 around 4pm Baseline near 7th st, Phoenix.

From the probable cause statement:

 

 

The defendant was operating a motor vehicle in the area of 700 E Baseline road where he was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Baseline Road. The def proceeded eastbound through the intersection of 7th street in the westbound curb lane of Baseline Road where he drove up onto the sidewalk along the north side of baseline road  and struck the victim WHO WAS WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK…

Continue reading “More sidewalk driving”

Report: Uber driver streaming Hulu prior to deadly self-driving crash in Tempe

[below is for historical purposes; please visit the main consolidated page at uber-involved-pedestrian-fatality. The driver was finally charged in Sept 2020]

Tempe Police’s report on the March 2018 Uber-involved pedestrian fatality has been released, 318 pages(!) it was reported on 6/22/2018 from various news organizations. It would be good if all serious and fatal traffic crashes were investigated so thoroughly. Continue reading “Report: Uber driver streaming Hulu prior to deadly self-driving crash in Tempe”

Motorized bicycles, Ebikes and crash reporting

[UPDATE: it seems quite possible something changed after 2020? see comment and stats]
[UPDATE: Something DEFINITELY changed as of FARS 2022; see below]

Executive Summary

  • People riding motorized bicycles are categorized as DRIVERS, and not as bicyclists, for crash reporting purposes.
  • How will Ebike crashes be reported?
  • new wildcard: what about escooter crashes?

Each of these has the potential to skew crash reporting statistics. Motorized bicycles have not seen wide use, but ebikes are expected to become much more common

I propose adding a few new “Body Style” definitions: 1) bicycle (well, pedalcycle), 2) motorized bicycle, 3) ebike; this would not require any changes to the Arizona Crash Forms, simply an update to the Crash Form Instruction Manual.

It is expected that ebikes will see large growth in use in the coming years; e.g, the WSJ reported: Continue reading “Motorized bicycles, Ebikes and crash reporting”

Little girl seriously hurt on sidewalk as driver jumps curb near Apache Junction

5/20/2018, 743am. Ellsworth and Broadway. A little girl and her mother became collateral damage after two drivers collided, one vehicle began spinning and “jumped the curb of the southwest corner of the intersection (two pedestrians), who were standing on the sidewalk”.

One driver was attempting to turn left, the other going straight (a “left cross”); who caused the wreck? Police are still investigating, it’s not clear which of the two drivers caused it; what is clear is that one or the other or both drivers caused a crash that seriously injured the little girl, and caused minor injuries to her mother who were on the sidewalk at the time.

Continue reading “Little girl seriously hurt on sidewalk as driver jumps curb near Apache Junction”

SUV – Ped Deaths continue to increase

The increased risk posed by SUV (more generally, “Light trucks”) drivers on other road users has been pointed out before, many years ago. See e.g. Lefler 2004, or Paulozzi  2005 for studies published in Accid Anal Prev, and  Inj Prev. Though the harm to peds is notable, it also noted at that time by the IIHS this heightened risk, while decreasing (at that time, the early to mid 2000s) modestly, extends to drivers of other motor vehicles, see IIHS: SUVs Becoming Less Deadly.

Continue reading “SUV – Ped Deaths continue to increase”

Austrian bicyclist dies in Kingman Crash

4/5/2018 11:05am  Bicyclist Stefan Ganster was struck from behind by the driver of a pickup in the 1200 block of W. Beale Street, Kingman, which is a.k.a. US-93, part of the S.H.S.  He was seriously injured and died of his injuries several days later. A couple of odd remarks from the news story:

He was riding westbound on Beale Street in the curb lane. The pickup driver, also westbound in the inside lane, changed lanes and crashed into the bicyclist.
Vision obstruction and speed are believed to be factors in the crash.

Continue reading “Austrian bicyclist dies in Kingman Crash”

Driver arrested in Sierra Vista bicyclist fatality

5/8/2018 1:36pm Buffalo Soldier Trail just south of Garden Ave.

Bicyclist 71-year old David Alva was killed. The driver was arrested.

No particulars were given about the crash; I inferred the bicyclist was struck from behind. The road there is wide multi-laned, divided, arterial in addition to wide bike lanes. Continue reading “Driver arrested in Sierra Vista bicyclist fatality”

Search Traffic Crash Data

Search FARS

FARS is the federal database of all police-reported fatal traffic incidents in the United States. It is intended to be complete accounting; it has come to my attention there are some known missing incidents.

This tool allows anyone to easily search the FARS database by exact date for the years from the most recent available (currently 2017) back to 2010. It also allows to filter by whether or not a pedestrian,  bicyclist, motorcyclist, or anybody was involved. Continue reading “Search Traffic Crash Data”

Glendale bicyclist struck by hit-and-run driver has died

Hit and Run Suspect

Hit and run crash occurred 3/29/2018 ~ 9pm. The bicyclist died of his injuries 4/30.

“Cleon Baker was riding his bike east on Camelback Road near 48th Avenue the night of March 29. Just before 9 p.m., a van – a white Ford Econline with its headlights off, police say — hit him.”

Police are still seeking the driver of a white Ford Econoline van; they believe the driver was caught on surveillance video, described as a Hispanic male, 25-35 years old with a shaved head, mustache, and a thin build.  Continue reading “Glendale bicyclist struck by hit-and-run driver has died”

Driver carries body several blocks before fleeing

suspect Ronald Hays turned himself in to police a couple of days after the fatal hit-and-run

Sun April 29, 2018 ~ 10:30pm. Van Buren, near 27th Avenue, Phoenix. Fatal hit-and-run victim Isela Ortega.

Horrific witness video shows a hit-and-run driver carrying the body of victim on top of car for several blocks. and then driving away after it fell off. The victim’s family is hoping someone can identify the driver, and/or encourages the driver to come forward. 12news.com Continue reading “Driver carries body several blocks before fleeing”

Your Pickup Truck Takes You for a Ride

Thanks to Holman Jenkins for reminding us, from time to time (here’s one from 2008!), there is still, over 50 years later, a “chicken tax” which places a 25% tariff on imported “trucks”; this helps to distort the automobile market. In his column 3/31/2018 Your Pickup Truck Takes You for a Ride, he pithily summarizes the on-going situation: Continue reading “Your Pickup Truck Takes You for a Ride”

Uber involved pedestrian fatality

Preface: This crash has nothing to do with bicycling other than the pedestrian was pushing a bicycle at the time. Because of the notoriety, the incident has its own wiki article.

3/18/2018 night-time (10pm?)  mid-block pedestrian fatality might not even be reported in the news; but this being the first reported AV (Autonomous Vehicle) traffic fatality (in the world?!), it’s huge news. Continue reading “Uber involved pedestrian fatality”