Nine pedestrians have been struck and killed by vehicles in Chattanooga so far this year, a 200% increase from the three reported at this point last year, according to data from the Police Department. The city is on pace for 17 pedestrian deaths this year, a figure that would be the most reported annually by far in at least the past decade.
It’s unclear if 17 pedestrian deaths from vehicle strikes would be a record for the city. Assistant Chief Jeri Sutton said in an email that the Police Department does not have access to records prior to 2013 as they have been archived and put in storage.
“I doubt we’d be able to access records from the old systems due to them being antiquated,” she said.
In an emailed statement, Kevin Roig, the city’s senior adviser for public affairs, said any death is tragic but the 200% increase doesn’t tell the whole story.
“It seems like the framing here is that walking in the city of Chattanooga is 200% more dangerous for this year compared to last — and that’s simply not true,” Roig said. “Pedestrian struck calls, year over year, are down. Mayor Kelly’s commitment to reversing decades of infrastructure divestment is clear, corroborated by his budgets.”