Dark roads, fast cars: Lakeland can be deadly for pedestrians and cyclists
January 14, 2025 at 4:34 PM EST
At least 70 pedestrians and bicyclists died between 2018 and 2024 after being struck by vehicles on Lakeland-area roads.
Most Lakeland roads were designed for cars, not people. That’s a perilous reality for residents who walk — by choice or necessity. At least 70 pedestrians and bicyclists died after being struck by vehicles in the greater Lakeland area between 2018 and 2024.
The majority of those accidents happened on six major roads:
For each death, there is also a driver who is forever changed, navigating the guilt of taking a life.
A LkldNow analysis found very few of the drivers were impaired or breaking the law. Most just didn’t expect pedestrians to be where they were.
Lives lost on Lakeland-area roads
(702x527, AR: 1.3320683111954459)
LkldNow reviewed the 70 accidents to understand the roles pedestrian behavior, driver behavior and Lakeland’s infrastructure played.
Dark roadsAlthough people can be hit by vehicles at any time of day, the risk is much higher at night. Drivers are less likely to see pedestrians and it’s harder for pedestrians to perceive the speed of oncoming vehicles.
(625x560, AR: 1.1160714285714286)
Areas ‘not marked for pedestrian traffic’Many accident reports noted that victims were hit in areas “not marked for pedestrian traffic.” In some cases, there were crosswalks nearby that pedestrians chose not to use. However, in others, the victims were navigating roads with no crosswalks, sidewalks, medians or other safety features.
Mumbauer recalled an accident on Memorial in which a bicyclist was hit and vaulted almost as high as a telephone pole. “He rode across five lanes of traffic and thought it was good, until the one lane wasn’t.”
(348x516, AR: 0.6744186046511628)
The victimsThe victims included 58 pedestrians and 12 bicyclists. They came from many walks of life, but people living in apparent poverty were disproportionately represented.
“When we come out to a traffic fatality, there’s so many other victims, other than just the individual that’s deceased. We, too, have to go notify the family. And there’s people that see the crash and are exposed to stuff that they should never be exposed to.”
Very few of the drivers involved in the crashes were found to be at fault.
Many of the drivers saw the pedestrians or bicyclists at the last minute and tried to avoid hitting them, but couldn’t.
Unsolved hit-and-runs
There are still 10 unsolved hit-and-run accidents in the greater Lakeland area. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Heartland Crime Stoppers. Tipsters will always remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward:
The big picturePedestrians and cyclists were killed in every quadrant of Lakeland plus its surrounding areas between 2018 and 2024. Of the 70 fatalities in the past seven years:
Interactive map (with city limits)
(781x425, AR: 1.8376470588235294)
A closer look at the deadliest roads
For many years, the Lakeland/Winter Haven area has ranked among the most dangerous areas in the U.S. for pedestrians. According to a report from Smart Growth America, it averaged 3.12 pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 residents between 2018 and 2022 — 38% higher than the national rate of 2.26.
In 2020, Lakeland partnered with the Florida Department of Transportation to install four high-intensity activated crosswalk signals (HAWK) on Memorial Boulevard. The signals are activated when a pedestrian pushes a button. And in 2022, Lakeland joined other municipalities in adopting a “Vision Zero” plan, with a goal to reduce pedestrian fatalities to none.
Lakeland city planners and traffic experts are expected to make a presentation to the City Commission in the coming weeks to discuss upcoming projects and other potential safety measures.
A note to families and loved ones: We felt it important to get photos of as many victims as possible, to honor them and show the human toll of the statistics. But there were some we couldn’t find. If you would like to share a photo of your loved one or would like us to use a different image, please reach out to cindy@lkldnow.com.
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting initiative is made possible by the Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Cindy Glover is a reporter for LkldNow, a nonprofit newsroom providing independent local news for Lakeland. Read at LkldNow.com.
The majority of those accidents happened on six major roads:
- U.S. Highway 98 North
- Memorial Boulevard
- Interstate 4
- South Florida Avenue
- Bartow Road
- Kathleen Road
For each death, there is also a driver who is forever changed, navigating the guilt of taking a life.
A LkldNow analysis found very few of the drivers were impaired or breaking the law. Most just didn’t expect pedestrians to be where they were.
Lives lost on Lakeland-area roads
(702x527, AR: 1.3320683111954459)
LkldNow reviewed the 70 accidents to understand the roles pedestrian behavior, driver behavior and Lakeland’s infrastructure played.
Dark roadsAlthough people can be hit by vehicles at any time of day, the risk is much higher at night. Drivers are less likely to see pedestrians and it’s harder for pedestrians to perceive the speed of oncoming vehicles.
- Nighttime — More than three-quarters (79%) of the accidents occurred when it was dark outside. Another 4% were at dawn or dusk. Only 17% happened in broad daylight.
- Few streetlights — Of the 55 nighttime collisions, 29 (52.7%) happened on unlit roads.
- Deadliest hour — More pedestrians were hit between 10 p.m. and 10:59 p.m. than any other hour. That’s when 14% of the accidents occurred.
(625x560, AR: 1.1160714285714286)
Areas ‘not marked for pedestrian traffic’Many accident reports noted that victims were hit in areas “not marked for pedestrian traffic.” In some cases, there were crosswalks nearby that pedestrians chose not to use. However, in others, the victims were navigating roads with no crosswalks, sidewalks, medians or other safety features.
- Crosswalks — More than half of the victims were trying to cross a road when they were hit. Of those, 63.6% were not at crosswalks. Another 30% were at a crosswalk but trying to cross against the light.
- Sidewalks — Almost a third of the pedestrians (32.9%) were hit on roads with no sidewalks. Another 10% had partial sidewalks.
- Multi-lane roads — Almost two-thirds of the victims (62.9%) were hit on roads with five or more lanes.
- Speed — More than half of the victims (55.7%) were hit on roads with speed limits of 45 miles per hour or more.
Mumbauer recalled an accident on Memorial in which a bicyclist was hit and vaulted almost as high as a telephone pole. “He rode across five lanes of traffic and thought it was good, until the one lane wasn’t.”
(348x516, AR: 0.6744186046511628)
The victimsThe victims included 58 pedestrians and 12 bicyclists. They came from many walks of life, but people living in apparent poverty were disproportionately represented.
- Men — More than three-quarters of the victims (77%) were men.
- Walking under the influence — Half of the victims had a documented history of drug or alcohol abuse, which, in many cases, caused their driver’s licenses to be suspended or revoked. Many were intoxicated at the time of the accident.
- Grocery or convenience stores — More than a third of the victims (37%) were struck near a grocery or convenience store. Several were headed to or just leaving the stores when they were hit.
- Dark clothing — At least 14 of the victims hit at night were wearing dark clothing, according to accident reports.
- Hard times — About one-fourth of the victims (26%) were homeless or transient.
“When we come out to a traffic fatality, there’s so many other victims, other than just the individual that’s deceased. We, too, have to go notify the family. And there’s people that see the crash and are exposed to stuff that they should never be exposed to.”
Very few of the drivers involved in the crashes were found to be at fault.
Many of the drivers saw the pedestrians or bicyclists at the last minute and tried to avoid hitting them, but couldn’t.
- Duty to render aid — Most of the drivers, 59 out of 70 (84%), remained at the scene as required by law. But the other 11 fled, making the case a hit-and-run.
- Few DUIs — An overwhelming majority of the drivers were sober at the time of the collision. Of the 59 accidents that were not hit-and-runs, 55 of the drivers (93%) were unimpaired.
Unsolved hit-and-runs
There are still 10 unsolved hit-and-run accidents in the greater Lakeland area. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Heartland Crime Stoppers. Tipsters will always remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward:
- Call 1-888-400-TIPS (8477)
- From your cell phone, dial **TIPS
- Visit this website and click on “Submit A Tip.”
The big picturePedestrians and cyclists were killed in every quadrant of Lakeland plus its surrounding areas between 2018 and 2024. Of the 70 fatalities in the past seven years:
- Lakeland Police investigated 36 within the city limits.
- Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigated 29 in unincorporated areas.
- Florida Highway Patrol investigated five on Interstate 4.
Interactive map (with city limits)
(781x425, AR: 1.8376470588235294)
A closer look at the deadliest roads
- U.S. Highway 98 North: Six pedestrians have been killed since 2019 on the .7-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 98 North between Marcum Road and Fox Lake Drive
- U.S. Highway 98 North: Four pedestrians and bicyclists have been killed since 2018 on the .75-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 98 from south of Griffin Road to the Interstate 4 overpass.
- East Memorial Boulevard (U.S. 92): Seven of the 10 pedestrians and cyclists killed on East Memorial Boulevard were hit on the 4-mile stretch between North Iowa Avenue and Reynolds Road. It's a fast, five- to six-lane road with few pedestrian amenities.
- South Florida Avenue: Five pedestrians have been killed since 2021 on the 2.5-mile stretch of South Florida Avenue between the Southgate Shopping Center and Walmart.
- Bartow Road (U.S. 98): Four of the five deaths on Bartow Road happened on the 3.75-mile stretch between the Grove Park Shopping Center and Innovation Drive.
- Kathleen Road: Three of the five pedestrian deaths on Kathleen Road happened in less than half a mile from just north of Griffin Road to Mall Hill Drive.
For many years, the Lakeland/Winter Haven area has ranked among the most dangerous areas in the U.S. for pedestrians. According to a report from Smart Growth America, it averaged 3.12 pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 residents between 2018 and 2022 — 38% higher than the national rate of 2.26.
In 2020, Lakeland partnered with the Florida Department of Transportation to install four high-intensity activated crosswalk signals (HAWK) on Memorial Boulevard. The signals are activated when a pedestrian pushes a button. And in 2022, Lakeland joined other municipalities in adopting a “Vision Zero” plan, with a goal to reduce pedestrian fatalities to none.
Lakeland city planners and traffic experts are expected to make a presentation to the City Commission in the coming weeks to discuss upcoming projects and other potential safety measures.
A note to families and loved ones: We felt it important to get photos of as many victims as possible, to honor them and show the human toll of the statistics. But there were some we couldn’t find. If you would like to share a photo of your loved one or would like us to use a different image, please reach out to cindy@lkldnow.com.
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting initiative is made possible by the Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Cindy Glover is a reporter for LkldNow, a nonprofit newsroom providing independent local news for Lakeland. Read at LkldNow.com.