Pedestrian struck and killed on Route 31 in Hunterdon
GLEN GARDNER – A borough man was killed Saturday evening when he was struck by a car while walking along Route 31.
John Gallic, 62, died after he was struck by a Honda travelling northbound on the highway in the area of Glen Gardner Liquors north of the Sanatorium Road intersection at about 10 p.m., according to State Police.
No charges have been filed against the driver though the investigation is continuing.
The driver of the Honda sustained minor injuries.
It's the second pedestrian fatality in Hunterdon County this year.
A 64-year-old Flemington man died after he was struck by a car while crossing Route 202/31 near ShopRite on Jan. 26.
More than 40 pedestrians have been killed so far this year in New Jersey, ahead of the annual pace in 2023 and 2022.
Though New Jersey ranks 19th in the United States in the number of pedestrians killed each year, in the last decade the number of pedestrian deaths has been rising,
Since 2014, after decades of steady or gradual decline, the rates have crept back, and in 2021 they hit a 10-year high of 217 pedestrians killed, New Jersey State Police figures show. Last year 177 pedestrians were killed.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation has attributed the rise to increased speeds seen nationally since the start of the pandemic, larger vehicles and increased distraction among drivers and walkers, spokesman Stephen Schapiro said in a statement.
"Federal data shows speeding-related deaths went up 23% from 2019 to 2020, even as the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in less traffic on the roadways," Schapiro said. "Another factor that should be considered is the proliferation of cellphone use and other mobile devices in the past 30 years that has led to an increase in distracted behavior, which includes both driving and walking."
Contributing: Matt Fagan of North Jersey.com
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Hunterdon NJ pedestrian struck and killed on Route 31
