San Antonio advocate pushes for more safety after several hit-and-runs involving pedestrians, bicyclists

In the past 22 days, there have been at least six hit-and-run crashes, five of which were deadly

SAN ANTONIO – Safety is the number one priority when hitting the streets on a bike, but at times, cyclists are at the will of those behind the wheel of a vehicle.

“People are getting seriously injured or killed, and those are people that we know in our community -- you know, friends, family, and more,” said Joey Pawlik, executive director of ActivateSA.

Pawlik said he believes the streets are becoming more dangerous as more people move to the Alamo City, bringing more vehicles on local roads.

In the past 22 days, there have been at least six hit-and-run crashes. Five were deadly, and the lone survivor is in critical condition. All of the victims were either walking or on a bike.

“Please stop and help these individuals that were hit -- cyclists or pedestrians -- because that could depend on them surviving or not,” said Pawlik.

As the city’s population grows, he’s asking for more protection for bicyclists and pedestrians.

“Incredibly proud of the city in making efforts and building out 100-plus miles of greenway trails, but that’s like the wheel, and we need some spokes in between to connect. If we make roadways safer for cyclists and pedestrians, we’ll make it safer for drivers, too,” Pawlik said.

KSAT has emailed San Antonio police to get the statistics on how many motor vehicle pedestrians and cycle crashes we have had this year and how it compares to last year. We’ll update you with the latest as it becomes available.

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About the Authors:

John Paul Barajas is a reporter at KSAT 12. Previously, he worked at KRGV 5 in the Rio Grande Valley. He has a degree from the University of Houston. In his free time, he likes to get a workout in, spend time on the water and check out good eats and drinks.

Adam Barraza is a photojournalist at KSAT 12 and an El Paso native. He interned at KVIA, the local ABC affiliate, while still in high school. He then moved to San Antonio and, after earning a degree from San Antonio College and the University of the Incarnate Word, started working in news. He’s also a diehard Dodgers fan and an avid sneakerhead.