MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Of all the critical issues that plague Greater Memphis, this one for me is near the top.
Deadly pedestrian hit and run crashes that seem to occur all across the city and county with regularity. Just this past Saturday night, a woman was struck and killed while crossing Jackson Avenue in the city’s Nutbush community. The driver responsible for her death sped away without stopping to render assistance.
A few days earlier, another pedestrian was hit and killed on Highway 51 near Fite Road north of the city. Back on November 14, a longtime nursing assistant at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital was killed as she walked near Winchester and Clarke Road in southeast Memphis. That driver also refused to stop and help and nd the list this year alone goes on and on.
All of these deaths point to the indisputable fact that Memphis is full of reckless and careless drivers. It’s a daily routine to see drivers weaving in and out of traffic at high rates of speed – even on surface streets.
But these pedestrian hit and run deaths are inexcusable and police are powerless to stop them. It’s also difficult to catch the offenders without help from the public. So here’s my plea: If you know someone responsible for a hit and run, do the right thing and call police. This is a communitywide problem and we must address it – together.