Ten people have been killed on foot this year, double last year’s total, as police urge walkers to use crosswalks and bridges
By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
Ten people have died on Huntsville streets this year while walking, double the number killed in all of 2025, according to the Huntsville Police Department.
Police Sgt. Chris Jackson told AL.com that pedestrian deaths fell to six in 2024 and five in 2025 before rising this year. The last time the city saw a comparable total was 2021, with nine pedestrian deaths, Jackson said, calling it “right on line with this year of 10.”
Pedestrian crashes make up less than 1% of all crashes in Huntsville, Jackson said. But when they happen, they are often fatal.
The deaths have been spread across the city, from Research Park Boulevard in the west to Pulaski Pike and Meridian Street in the north. Two happened on Memorial Parkway in September alone. Two occurred on University Drive, one of the city’s busiest commercial corridors.
In August, HEMSI spokesperson Don Webster told WAFF that 12 pedestrians had been hit by cars on University Drive so far this year. One of the deadly crashes happened Aug. 10 near the overhead pedestrian bridge by the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Jackson pointed to that crash as a painful lesson. “That man would still be alive had he just went up a flight of stairs,” he said.
The danger has not let up. On Sunday night, Nov. 8, a woman was taken to the hospital after being hit by a car in Huntsville, Webster told WAFF.
Who is most at risk
Many of the deadliest stretches run through neighborhoods where residents depend on walking and public transit to reach jobs, groceries, and bus stops. For families without a car, crossing a six-lane highway is not a choice; it is part of the daily commute.
That makes pedestrian safety an equity issue as much as a traffic issue. Wide roads built for speed, long distances between crosswalks, and poorly lit intersections leave pedestrians with few safe options.
How to stay safe
Police and emergency responders offer these reminders:
Cross at marked crosswalks, signals, and pedestrian bridges, even when it means walking farther.
Wear light-colored or reflective clothing at night, and carry a flashlight or use your phone’s light.
Drivers should slow down, put phones away, and watch for pedestrians, especially near bus stops, shopping centers, and campuses.
Residents who see a dangerous crossing or broken streetlight can report it to the City of Huntsville through its 311 service.
Behind every number is a family. Each of the 10 people killed this year left behind loved ones, co-workers, and neighbors who now drive past the spot where they died.
Speakin’ Out News will continue to track pedestrian deaths and what city leaders are doing to make Huntsville’s streets safer for everyone.