Adelanto Pedestrian Killed on Highway 395 Named as 60-Year-Old Mary Handford

A 60-year-old Apple Valley woman was killed Friday night after being struck by a car while walking along Highway 395 in Adelanto, just south of Seneca Road. The victim, identified as Mary F. Handford, was pronounced dead at the scene after a Ford Mustang hit her around 8:40 p.m. near Begonia Road.

Southbound Lanes Shut Down as Deputies Investigated

According to Pain In The Pass, the Mustang was stopped in the southbound lanes of Highway 395, and Handford was walking in the roadway when she was struck. The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. Emergency personnel pronounced Handford dead at the scene, and authorities have not released further details about the circumstances of the crash.

The Mustang sustained visible damage to the passenger side of its windshield, according to VVNG, and law enforcement temporarily closed the southbound lanes of Highway 395 at Seneca Road while they processed the scene. It remains unclear whether speed or visibility played a role in the collision, and no citations or charges have been reported as of this writing.

A Corridor Long Flagged for Safety Problems

The stretch of Highway 395 running through Adelanto has drawn scrutiny from transportation officials for years. The same VVNG report notes that the roadway carries roughly 30,000 vehicles a day, with heavy freight trucks making up about 17% of that traffic. Construction on Phase 2 of the US 395 Freight Mobility and Safety Project began in spring 2026. The $41.85 million effort is intended to add lanes, raised medians, and wider shoulders along seven miles of the highway.

That project follows Phase 1 of the US-395 Widening Project, which expanded about five miles of the highway from two to four lanes between Chamberlaine Way in Adelanto and State Route 18 in Victorville, according to the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority. That earlier phase included turn lanes and new traffic signals. The Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects address the US-395 corridor.

How California Law Treats Pedestrians Outside Crosswalks

California Vehicle Code Section 21950 requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in marked or unmarked crosswalks at intersections, though pedestrians are barred from stepping abruptly into oncoming traffic in a way that creates an immediate hazard, per Compass Law. Outside of crosswalks, Vehicle Code Section 21954 requires pedestrians to yield to approaching vehicles, while still obligating drivers to exercise due care for pedestrian safety, according to Justia Law. It is not yet known whether Handford was crossing at a marked location when she was struck.

Part of a Broader Regional Pattern

Pedestrian and cyclist incidents are part of the broader traffic-safety picture in San Bernardino County. Nationally, pedestrian deaths dropped 7% in 2025 to 6,732, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.

The broader discussion includes pedestrian safety in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area and across California. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has not said whether any citations will be issued in connection with Handford's death, and it remains unclear what pedestrian crossing facilities or lighting exist along that section of Highway 395 near Seneca Road.