Memphis road safety advocates remember crash victims on World Day of Remembrance
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Street safety advocates gathered at Medical District Park on Sunday to remember the 188 people killed in traffic incidents in Memphis in 2024 and call for changes to prevent future deaths.
The names of each victim were spoken during the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims event. There, Jackson McNeil with Innovate Memphis’ Street Fair shared that another 120 people have been killed in traffic incidents in Memphis so far in 2025.
“The United States has the highest fatal crash rate of all 29 highest-income countries. Memphis has the highest fatal crash rate in the United States,” said McNeil. “These aren’t just numbers and statistics. These are our fellow Memphians.”
Attendees came to remember friends and loved ones affected by car crashes and advocate for safer streets. Will Henke, a transportation engineer, said he had a friend who was walking late at night when she and her brother were struck by a car. Her brother died in the crash.
“There’s proven safety counter-measures that, if implemented, can have direct results in decreasing, even all the way down to zero, the number of fatal crashes,” Henke said.
Sheridan Harris, whose active lifestyle was disrupted by a crash while bike riding in Memphis, shared her experience as an example of preventable injuries.
“I have nerve damage from the middle of my back all the way down my right leg,” says Harris, who now suffers from chronic pain. “I have a spinal cord stimulator because of that day and that accident.”
Harris said rethinking street infrastructure could prevent similar incidents.
“I think that if we had two lanes of traffic in that area, it would be much more controlled, and it would have totally prevented my injury because that person would not have been able to go around the cars in front of them to hit me,” Harris said.
The City of Memphis is developing a Safety Action Plan to reduce roadway fatalities. The plan will be completed and adopted early next year.
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