CINCINNATI — A Sunday afternoon crash at The Banks left a woman with life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck her, bringing the year's total for pedestrian-involved crashes nearly up to 70.
According to Cincinnati police data, January saw approximately 31 pedestrian-involved crashes, and February saw roughly 36. This puts 2019 on pace with 2018 for such crashes through the first two months of the year -- at slightly more than one per day.
Here's an updated graphic on pedestrian-involved crashes through February (not including today's crash), year over year. Plateau from last year to this year. @WCPO pic.twitter.com/UduYoBNWGt
— Pat LaFleur (@pat_laFleur) March 4, 2019
Sunday's incident involved a woman walking through The Banks when a vehicle struck her while she walked through a crosswalk, a witness told WCPO. She was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.
2018 saw the most pedestrian-involved crashes since before 2013, when the most recent data is available. Among those struck last year were 13 Cincinnati Public Schools students who were walking to school.
City Council and Mayor John Cranley have proposed a number of pedestrian safetey initiatives over the last few years, in response to growing public concern. In 2017, City Councilmen P.G. Sittenfeld and Chris Seelbach proposed a $500,000 Pedestrian Safety Fund, that was renewed again last year.
City Councilman Greg Landsman entered a motion calling for broad-sweeping reform to pedestrian and street safety protocol -- including calling for a "Vision Zero" commitment to implementing policy and infrastructure that would reduce the city's serious-injury and fatal traffic crashes. Cranley proposed earlier this year roughly $900,000 in pedestrian improvements throughout the city, and last month introduced legislation to improve pedestrian connections between Over-the-Rhine and The Banks along Vine Street.
