Fatal pedestrian crashes renew focus on Wilmington road safety

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Two pedestrians were killed in separate crashes on two of Wilmington’s busiest roads over the Labor Day weekend, renewing concerns about pedestrian safety and the city’s growing number of traffic fatalities.

An SUV hit and killed 33-year-old Xavier Richardson on Market Street Friday evening, according to Wilmington police.

Early Sunday morning, a 58-year-old man was killed in a hit-and-run involving a truck on South 17th Street.

Both roads have seen a concentration of crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists over the years.

A North Carolina Department of Transportation map tracking nonmotorist crashes in New Hanover County since 2007 shows numerous pedestrian and bicycle crashes along Market Street, South 17th Street and other major corridors.

Between 2023 and early 2026, there were more than 215 pedestrian-involved cases in Wilmington, with 32 resulting in fatalities.

“Folks that walk because they have to. They’re trying to get somewhere just like you or me or anybody else are,” Wilmington police Lt. Greg Willett said in a previous interview.

Willett said aging infrastructure, combined with rapid growth in the Wilmington area, is one factor contributing to pedestrian and bicycle fatalities.

“And a lot of our infrastructure is old and growth has exploded here,” Willett said.

The city is working to address those concerns through Vision Zero, a strategy approved last year that aims to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries.

The initiative includes traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps and chicanes, along with efforts to expand bike lanes, sidewalks and walking paths.

Carolyn Caggia with the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization said improving safety can also involve encouraging people to consider alternatives to driving.

“I’m doing a lot of work to promote things like bicycling, walking, carpooling, public transportation,” Caggia said.

Several projects are already aimed at improving options for pedestrians and cyclists, including the Greenville and Masonboro Loop trails and the completed Fifth Avenue bike lane and sidewalk.

A Vision Zero task force is expected to present a proposed action plan to the Wilmington City Council by winter 2027, outlining additional ways the city can improve traffic safety.

With two fatal pedestrian crashes in one holiday weekend, city officials and transportation planners say improving infrastructure and creating safer options for people who walk or bike will remain a priority.