A 1-year-old child is in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle in southwest Oklahoma City shortly before 5 p.m. Friday, according to authorities. Emergency crews rushed the child, who suffered severe injuries, to a nearby trauma center for treatment.
Oklahoma City police and first responders were called to the scene near S.W. 44th Street and Walker Avenue, investigators told KOKH (FOX 25). The outlet reports the 1-year-old was hit by a vehicle, but police have not released additional details about how the crash happened or information about the driver.
Where the crash happened
The intersection of S.W. 44th and Walker sits in a busy southwest corridor that regional planners have already flagged for elevated crash numbers. As outlined by the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, the area is part of a broader Regional Safety Action Plan, funded in part through a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant, that focuses on intersection upgrades, better pedestrian crossings and other safety projects; see ACOG.
Statewide safety context
Across Oklahoma, pedestrian safety has become a growing concern. The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office's FY2024 annual report, using finalized 2022 data, recorded 96 pedestrian deaths statewide and notes that pedestrian safety will be a priority in the FY26 Highway Safety Plan; see Oklahoma Highway Safety Office. That emphasis is reflected in ongoing education, enforcement and engineering efforts aimed at protecting people on foot.
Anyone with information about Friday's crash is urged to contact Oklahoma City Crime Stoppers at 405-235-7300 or submit a tip online, according to the city’s Crime Stoppers program; see City of Oklahoma City Crime Stoppers. Police say the investigation remains active and that more details will be released as they become available, according to KOKH (FOX 25).
Traffic safety advocates continue to urge drivers to slow down, stay alert and give extra space to pedestrians, especially near residential neighborhoods and busy commercial corridors. ACOG’s “Watch for Me OK” campaign works with communities across central Oklahoma to change driver behavior and improve crossings for people walking and rolling; see ACOG.
