Baltimore Co. Police Say Distracted Pedestrians Driving Rise In Fatalities

Baltimore County Police say they're seeing more and more fatal pedestrian-involved accidents and say pedestrians themselves are to blame.

Chief James Johnson said police have recorded 18 fatal incidents this year, close to the 20 seen last year in 565 incidents where a pedestrian was hurt. He said the spike cropped up in recent years, and only part of it has to do with an increase in traffic density.

"When we examined these cases, we determined that the pedestrian is usually at fault," Johnson said. "In fact, this year alone, in 14 of the cases, the pedestrian was at fault."

Interview with Chief James Johnson:

There were 14 cases last year, as well, where pedestrians were at fault in fatal incidents.

While unlike for drivers, there are no laws in Maryland that force pedestrians to look up from their cell phones, Johnson said it's up to pedestrians to exercise good judgment.

"We're so focused again on the next destination. We're preoccupied with electronic devices," Johnson said. "What we see in case after case is an individual not paying attention to what's going on."

He said a focus is needed on educating county drivers and pedestrians, training officers and examining engineering issues. Just a week ago, Johnson said, he personally stopped someone who tried to cross Joppa Road through traffic. A little education, he said, can go a long way.

"We like to be optimistic about the ability to reduce these fatalities that are obviously very, very tragic, extraordinarily costly, even when the victim survives," Johnson said.

Interview with Sgt. Shane Moroz of the police crash team:

That means reminding drivers, too, to stay alert and avoid distractions.

"I think when you find yourself in a high density environment, a business area...in these areas you should anticipate, abruptly, someone darting out," Johnson said.

Even if the person behind the wheel isn't at fault, he added, "the driver that now has to live with the impact of being involved in one of these crashes."