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Utah sees a 25 percent increase in auto-pedestrian fatalities

Posted at 9:50 PM, Jan 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-02 23:50:55-05

SALT LAKE CITY – Fox 13 took a look at the grim and deadly rise of auto pedestrian crashes in Utah last year.

42 people were hit and killed by an automobile in Utah in 2017.  In the past five years, the state has seen a 25 percent increase in fatal pedestrian crashes, but those who lost their lives are more than just statistics.

“It’s easy to talk about numbers but you think about what that means 42 deaths, 42 families that have to go on without their loved ones,” said John Gleason, spokesperson for UDOT.

UDOT said they don’t know what is to blame for this rise in fatalities, but said drivers and pedestrians are more distracted now than ever. They key to less fatalities is for everyone to pay attention.

Watch the video below to hear from some of the families who lost their loved ones in auto-pedestrian crashes last year: