FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas – In the past month, 14-year-old Logan Dark was hit and killed by a driver while riding his bike near Katy. A 61-year-old man was hit and killed while walking his dog in Sugar Land. Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan said tragedies like this are on the rise.
“These deaths could have been and should have been avoided,” said Fagan.
Auto-pedestrian incidents have more than doubled in the county this year, according to Fagan. He said they have increased from 14 in August to 27 in September. Six incidents were reported in July. Auto-bicyclist crashes are also up from three in August to 12 reported in September.
“Statistics have shown, one in three pedestrians hit by a vehicle traveling 25 miles per hour are severely injured and one in 10 pedestrians hit at 35 miles per hour die,” said Fagan.
Sheriff Fagan encourages drivers to slow down, come to a complete stop at a crosswalk, and pay attention to signs. Those crossing the street are encouraged to stop and look for cars, avoid looking down at phones and make sure it’s safe to cross.
“If we do these simple things, we can stop these preventable injuries and deaths which are causing heartache to families and loved ones of these victims,” said Fagan.
Under a new law called the Lisa Torry Smith Act, drivers who seriously injure or kill a pedestrian or cyclist near a crosswalk can face a state jail felony.