BFF talks to WESH: PED deaths are preventable

BWCF executive director, Amanda Day, met up with WESH news to talk about preventing PED deaths after a person was tragically hit and killed by a car on State Road 50 this week. 

State Road 50 was shut down early Thursday morning in Ocoee after a vehicle hit and killed a pedestrian, according to the Ocoee Police Department.

Officials said the adult victim, who has not been identified, was struck near Marshal Farms Road shortly after 4 a.m. The victim was not at a marked intersection at the time of the crash, police said.

Investigators said the driver is cooperating with police.

State Road 50, also known as Colonial Drive, was closed in both directions from Maguire Road to Marshal Farms Road for several hours. The road was reopened shortly after 8 a.m.

“You’re speechless. It’s a tragedy. And it’s unnecessary. We talk about these as accidents, or they’re inevitable. They’re not. They’re not accidents. They’re collisions, and we can prevent them,” said Amanda Day, executive director of Bike/Walk Central Florida.

Day’s group has launched a campaign, Best Foot Forward, to educate the community on pedestrian safety.

“The cities and counties need to look at where they’re putting apartment complexes and where they’re putting, if it’s a grocery store, and putting them on a road that is 45 to 55 mph with no crosswalks, then what do you get?” Day said.

Bike/Walk Central Florida said cars collide with more than 600 people every year in Orange County, and both pedestrian injuries and fatalities are increasing.