20-03-2025
Springfield Police sees trend in pedestrian fatalities
SPRINGFIELD, Mo — The Springfield Police Department pushes drivers and pedestrians to be cautious following multiple instances of pedestrians being hit and killed by vehicles.
In a release, SPD says there have already been four pedestrian fatalities so far in 2025. They all have something in common: those who have been hit were trying to cross the street outside of designated crosswalk areas.
Now, police are reminding people the safest place to cross the street is at a crosswalk, signal or intersection. SPD is also urging those who travel on foot to remember an acronym that could help them avoid being injured or killed – telling the to use their 'WITS':
Watch and be seen by motorists
Identify risks
Take the safest route across
Stay Alert
Police are also encouraging people to be aware of traffic laws per city ordinances such as the Pedestrian Safety Ordinance, as well as the following:
Sec. 106-452
Sec. 106-453
Sec. 106-454
Sec. 106-455
Quick links to those ordinances can be found here.
'The tragic fatalities this year are a sobering reminder of how important it is for pedestrians to follow safe street-crossing practices,' said Sgt. Ben Haines, supervisor of SPD's Traffic Unit. 'Pedestrian safety is about being informed and cautious, and we encourage everyone to follow the laws designed to keep them safe. Our goal is to ensure that both pedestrians and drivers can safely share the road.'
Springfield Police have been putting a greater emphasis on pedestrian safety in the past few years with initiatives like the 'SGF Yields' program, which kicked off in 2017. In 2024, City Council implemented the 'Safer Streets SGF Plan', using the 'Vision Zero' safety strategy. The City of Springfield wants to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2040, and disabling injury crashes by 2050.
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