FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth police say they responded to three separate crashes involving pedestrians on Sunday and one person was arrested.
Riverside Drive and East Lancaster Avenue
Officers were dispatched about 5:29 p.m. to the intersection of Riverside Drive and East Lancaster Avenue near Highway 287 and Interstate 30 for a hit and run accident involving a pedestrian. When they got there, they found a pedestrian who had been struck by a vehicle that fled the scene without stopping to render aid, police said.
Fort Worth Fire Department and MedStar personnel also responded. The victim was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries and is in stable condition, police said.
Camp Bowie Boulevard
Officers were dispatched about 5:59 p.m. to the 6300 block of Camp Bowie Boulevard due to a crash involving two vehicles and a pedestrian, police said.
Officers found the two vehicles involved and the pedestrian, police said.
Fort Worth Fire Department and MedStar personnel also responded. The victim was taken to a hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries and was in stable condition, police said.
The driver of the vehicle that caused the accident collided with the second vehicle, which then struck the pedestrian. The first vehicle fled the scene of the accident but was located and taken into police custody, police said.
East Lancaster Avenue
Officers were dispatched about 9:09 p.m. to the 3900 block of East Lancaster Avenue on a major accident involving a pedestrian.
Upon arrival, officers located a pedestrian that had been struck by a vehicle that fled the scene without stopping to render aid to the victim, police said.
The victim was taken to a hospital with serious injuries in an unknown condition, police said. The Fort Worth Fire Department and MedStar personnel also responded to the scene.
TxDOT campaign
The Texas Department of Transportation has a campaign called "Be Safe. Drive Smart" to help remind drivers to look out for people walking on Texas roadways.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, pedestrian deaths account for one in five of all traffic fatalities.
In 2020, there were 4,852 traffic crashes involving pedestrians in Texas, resulting in 731 fatalities and 1,211 serious injuries. From 2016 to 2020, pedestrian fatalities resulting from traffic crashes increased 5%.
Drivers are required to take specific steps to protect pedestrians and bicyclists, who are more likely to be killed or seriously injured when involved in a crash with a motor vehicle, TxDOT says. State laws mandate stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks, yielding the right of way to pedestrians and bicyclists when turning, and passing bicyclists at a safe distance and giving them room to ride.