Pedestrian deaths in 2007 highest in 10 years
The death of a 26-year-old man crossing a street Friday morning made the number of pedestrian deaths this year the highest since 1997, according to the D.C. Department of Transportation. A day later, a hit-and-run driver fatally struck a woman, raising the total to 25 deaths. In the first incident, Francis Joseph Ryan, 26, was crossing 14th and Euclid streets at around 5:30 a.m. Friday in the Columbia Heights area of Northwest Washington when he was struck by a vehicle. He was pronounced dead at Washington Hospital Center 20 minutes later, The Washington Post reported. The driver was identified, but no charges have been filed as of Saturday.
On Saturday, the driver of a stolen truck collided with and killed a woman crossing Southern Avenue in Southeast Washington, NBC4 reported. Police said the driver and two passengers then got out of the car and ran after seeing a police cruiser. The number of deaths is high this year because of an increase in people walking, transportation officials told NBC4.
-PATRICIO CHILE
