Traffic accidents involving pedestrians in Jefferson County have increased in recent years, according to statistics kept by Kentucky State Police.Early Thursday morning, a man died after a sports utility vehicle struck him on Taylorsville Road at Lowe Road near Jeffersontown. Witnesses told Louisville Metro Police that the man was walking against the traffic signal, police said. LMPD's Traffic Unit is investigating.So far in 2013, four people have died in Jefferson County traffic accidents involving pedestrians, according to Kentucky State Police's statewide traffic accident statistics. Jefferson County has had 98 traffic accidents involving pedestrians, with 80 injuries.The numbers of collisions and injuries are similar to those between Jan. 1, 2012 and March 21, 2012, but the number of fatalities for the same time period last year was three, state police statistics said. In all of 2012, 480 traffic accidents involved pedestrians, with 439 injuries and 11 deaths. Here's a rundown of the years before:Year Accidents Injuries Deaths2011 437 374 172010 429 385 192009 391 364 82008 422 385 24Louisville ranks 41st in the U.S. for walkability, according to Walk Score, a Seattle-based group led by urban planners, environmental experts and others. Louisville ranks slightly better than Indianapolis (45) and Nashville (46).Downtown, Old Louisville and the Highlands are Louisville's most walkable neighborhoods, Walk Score said.The walk score where the pedestrian died Thursday is 35,Walk Score said.(Update: The number of fatalities in 2012 has been changed to reflect better statistics.) (Image via Shutterstock.)
