A slide from the virtual Fourth Annual Pedestrian Memorial
Local transportation advocates on Saturday hosted a memorial service in honor of the 39 pedestrians who lost their lives in Nashville traffic accidents in 2020. It was the deadliest year for people walking our city's streets on record, surpassing 2019’s previous record of 32.
“We created this annual event to remember those who were lost, but also to recognize that these tragedies are not random or inevitable,” said Nora Kern, the executive director of transit advocacy organization Walk Bike Nashville. “They are happening on the same high-speed streets, they are happening at night, and they are happening in many of the same parts of our city. And this pattern tells us that pedestrian deaths are not random — pedestrian deaths are preventable.”
Kern pointed to longstanding issues in Nashville’s transportation system and the need to invest in safety.
“We should not accept that there are major transit routes in Nashville without sidewalks, without street lighting or without safe crosswalks," she said.
The memorial was held virtually this year, hosted via Zoom and livestreamed on Facebook. Attendees included people who knew the victims, Mayor John Cooper’s transportation adviser Faye DiMassimo, Metro councilmembers and state legislators.
Local elected officials, like Councilmember Joy Styles and state Rep. John Ray Clemmons, read the names of the 39 victims, offering some details about each person and the circumstances of their death. Victims varied in age, from as young as 9 to as old as 74. Ten of those who died were in their 60s. Kern noted during the event that 16 of the deaths occurred in hit-and-run incidents.
There was Belinda Ann Browning, 59, who was crossing Rosa Parks Boulevard with groceries when she was hit by a car. Mark Johnson, 45, was struck by a car while crossing Interstate 40, likely en route to a camp for people experiencing homelessness. Ruonan Yao, 31, was a graduate student at Vanderbilt killed by a dump-truck driver while on a crosswalk.
The list of names also included 9-year-old Chrishon Montgomery, who was reportedly killed by a drunk driver as he saved another child from suffering possibly fatal injuries. (Walk Bike Nashville notes that police classified the death as a bicycling accident, but organizers included Montgomery because the child he was with was walking.)
Tiffany Ladd, who works life navigation at Salvation Army, was familiar with some of the victims who had been experiencing homelessness. She was with Mary Brown, 62, at the time of her death, and had been in contact with Kenneth Sisco, 55, a day before his death to discuss a rehousing effort. She shared memories of Brown as a sweet soul who loved Oreos: “When we had cold-weather shelter nights," Ladd said, "I knew if I didn’t have Oreos, she wasn’t coming with me.”
“Amongst our unhoused community, their lives are at risk every day,” said Ladd.
The memorial also included a video from Mayor Cooper, who echoed the sentiment that these 39 deaths were avoidable, saying, “We must do better.” Cooper highlighted his commitment to a Vision Zero plan to reduce pedestrian deaths as well as his $1.6 billion transportation plan, which would put $75 million toward traffic safety. (The Metro Council approved the plan despite reservations over the lack of dedicated funding.)
The mayor also voiced support for a bill that would lower the speed limits in certain neighborhoods, noting that while there has been less traffic during the pandemic, there has been a “surge” in speeding. The council is scheduled to vote on the bill Feb. 2
According to Walk Bike Nashville’s data, seven roads account for nearly half of the pedestrian fatalities in 2020. Six deaths took place on Dickerson Pike.
A story map containing the names of the 39 pedestrians can be found here. A recording of the event can be found on Walk Bike Nashville’s Facebook page.
