C.J. Gish
A Gainesville Regional Transit System (RTS) bus hit and killed a male pedestrian at the NW 13th Street and West University Avenue intersection on Thursday evening.
According to the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) spokesperson Graham Glover, the RTS bus was traveling north on NW 13 Street and the pedestrian was crossing from west to east at the West University intersection around 7:45 p.m.
“There’s no charges or citations right now,” Glover said.
Glover reported that the pedestrian was a 38-year-old male, but he could not release the man’s identity at this time.
Over the past year and a half, multiple vehicle vs. pedestrian/bicyclist accidents have occurred throughout Gainesville.
UF students Sophia Lambert and Margaret Paxton died in separate incidents on West University Avenue in January 2021 and December 2020, respectively.
On Jan. 4, Sabrina Obando was hit and killed when walking in a crosswalk at NW 8th Avenue and on Dec. 17 at the intersection of NW 13th Street and NW 16th Avenue, a bicyclist was seriously injured in a hit and run.
The City of Gainesville and the Florida Department of Transportation responded to the accidents over the past year by adding speed tables along West University Avenue, improving crosswalks, and lowering speed limits to avoid further accidents.
Related Mainstreet stories:
- Fatal hit-and-run incident in Gainesville kills UF student (Dec. 10, 2020)
- Pedestrian dies after collision with vehicle in Gainesville (Dec. 23, 2020)
- Fatal car accident at UF sparks calls for change (Jan. 17, 2021)
- GPD announces initiative to reduce traffic deaths (Jan. 21, 2021)
- Authorities to hold Friday traffic safety event near UF (Jan. 28, 2021)
- Attorney: UF student families could receive millions after traffic deaths (March 4, 2021)
- Transfer of University Avenue may face long road (March 8, 2021)
- FDOT to complete some West University changes this week (March 17, 2021)
- Speed tables coming to West University (May 6, 2021)
- FDOT lowers West University speed limit (May 25, 2021)
- West University safety project nears completion (July 22, 2021)
- GPD confirms injury accident at 13th and University (July 30, 2021)
- GPD seeks help in fatal hit and run (Sept. 8, 2021)
- Mid-block crosswalks next for West University (Oct. 1, 2021)
- University Ave. accidents continue amid upgrades (Nov. 23, 2021)
- GPD starts high visibility enforcement campaign (Dec. 3, 2021)
- Memorial event remembers Maggie Paxton (Dec. 9, 2021)
- Bicyclist hit on 13th Street, driver flees (Dec. 17, 2021)
- Pedestrian hit, killed in crosswalk (Jan. 5, 2022)
- Candlelight vigil remembers Sabrina Obando (Jan. 15, 2022)
- Gainesville plans to lower speed limits (Jan. 20, 2022)
- Gainesville moving ahead on speed limit changes (Feb. 25, 2022)
Editor’s note: This story has been updated.