A new five-year analysis from Shane Smith Law finds that many of Charlotte’s pedestrian deaths share the same circumstances, and that one of the most common is a driver who never stopped. Of the 131 pedestrians killed in Charlotte between 2020 and 2024, 37 died in a hit-and-run crash, roughly 28% of all deaths and more than one in every four. That share was higher than the share of crashes involving a legally drunk driver, speeding, or distracted driving. The findings come as Charlotte’s pedestrian death rate reached 3.76 per 100,000 residents in 2024, well above the North Carolina rate of 2.39 and the national rate of 2.08.
The hit-and-run share shifted considerably from year to year. Drivers fled the scene in 25% of pedestrian deaths in 2020, a figure that climbed to 46.2% in 2021, nearly half of all deaths that year. The share fell to 13% in 2023 before rising again to 32.4% in 2024. For the families involved, these crashes add another layer of loss, because a fatal collision with a driver who flees can leave them without immediate answers about what happened or who was responsible.
Alcohol was recorded more often than speeding or distraction in Charlotte’s fatal pedestrian crashes. A driver with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher was involved in 26 crashes, roughly one in five deaths. When any measurable alcohol in the driver’s system is counted, that figure rises to 35 crashes, about 27% of the total. In 15 crashes, or about 11.5%, the driver’s BAC was .15 or higher, nearly double the legal limit. Speeding was also recorded in 11.5% of deaths (15 crashes), while distracted driving appeared in 4.6% (six crashes). These figures reflect the factors documented in the dataset and do not establish that one behavior caused more deaths than another, but they show how often alcohol appears in the record.
The vehicles involved are also changing. Passenger cars were the striking vehicle in 43.5% of deaths over the five-year period (57 deaths), the largest single category. Light trucks, including pickups, SUVs, and vans, accounted for 37.4% (49 deaths), with SUVs alone involved in 23.7% (31 deaths). Pickup trucks were involved in 14 deaths, large trucks in five, vans in four, and buses in two, while 18 involved other or unknown vehicle types. The yearly trend stands out most. SUVs were the striking vehicle in 12.5% of Charlotte’s pedestrian deaths in 2020, but by 2024 that share had climbed to 29.4%, more than double. Because annual totals are relatively small, the study treats the shift as a trend worth watching rather than a settled conclusion.
The demographic data show who is being lost. Men accounted for 68.7% of pedestrian deaths (90 of 131), compared with 31.3% for women (41 deaths), meaning men died at about 2.2 times the rate of women across the period. Men made up 75% of deaths in 2020, 70.8% in 2022, 69.6% in 2023, and 76.5% in 2024, with 2021 the lone exception at an even 50/50 split. Adults made up the overwhelming majority of victims. People aged 25 to 54 accounted for 54.2% of deaths (71), and those 55 and older accounted for 31.3% (41), so pedestrians 25 and older represented 85.5% of all fatalities. Pedestrians aged 16 to 24 made up 11.5% (15 deaths), and children 15 and younger made up 2.3% (three deaths). Older adults are taking on a growing share of the toll: people 55 and older represented 25% of pedestrian deaths in 2020 and 38.2% by 2024.
The study concludes that Charlotte’s pedestrian deaths are not random. The same circumstances, vehicle types, and groups of people appear again and again in the fatality record, and that repetition shows where safety efforts under the city’s Vision Zero goal could make the greatest difference.