3 pedestrians die in 2 days in 3 separate crashes in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Three pedestrians died in in the span of just 12 hours earlier this week, and one involved an off-duty police officer.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg spoke about the cases Friday. One happened in a neighborhood, another on a bridge, and another on an interstate.

It started at 8 p.m. Wednesday, 17-year-old Clay Twyman died after he was hit by an off-duty Louisville police officer in an unmarked police vehicle in the city's Portland neighborhood.

"That is a tragic loss of life for that individual, for his family and his loved ones, for our entire community," Greenberg said.

Then, just before 6:30 a.m. Thursday, 38-year-old Aaron Nifong was hit and killed on the 2nd Street Bridge. Police said Nifong was walking in the road on the bridge when she was hit.

Both pedestrian lanes of the 2nd Street Bridge have been closed since March 1, and warning signs remain on both ends of the bridge. A crash between a semi, a pickup truck and two passenger vehicles caused the semitruck and its' driver to dangle over the Ohio River.

"I think this is a case of an individual that did not heed the warnings," Greenberg said. "When there are signs asking you to not do something, folks need to heed those warnings. They are not there for fun. They are for people’s own safety."

And shortly thereafter, just before 7 a.m. Thursday, a man was hit and killed by a vehicle near Slugger Field on Interstate 64. Louisville Metro Police said the man was in the roadway when he was hit.

"We cannot stress enough: Please be careful," Greenberg said Friday. "Where we encourage people places not to walk, whether it's 2nd Street Bridge or the highway, please heed those calls for caution."

According to a recent city study, the most dangerous stretch of road in Jefferson County, is Broadway from 22nd Street to Baxter Avenue. Several other major thoroughfares are among the most dangerous in the county, including Dixie Highway, Preston Highway and 7th Street Road.

Greenburg said that's why planners are reimagining Broadway, which could add more medians, road pullouts, and crosswalks.

"When these accidents occur, we, of course, continue to revisit it and got some very bold requests to the state in our 5-year-old plan, asking the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to make investments here in Louisville as well," Greenburg said.

The mayor added the city's Vision Zero plan also continues to include eliminating pedestrian-related fatalities. This includes the plan to transform 9th street from Broadway to Main Street.

"We start with safety," he said. "I just had a call this morning on the 9th Street Project. Safety was where the conversation began. And that's what our focus always is."

For more information on the most dangerous roadways in Jefferson County, click here.

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