A pedestrian was struck and killed Thursday morning while crossing South Military Trail near Lake Worth Road in Palm Springs. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue found the adult pedestrian in the roadway and pronounced them dead at the scene. The crash forced a temporary road closure before lanes reopened later Thursday.
According to a preliminary investigation by Palm Springs Police, a gray Volkswagen Jetta traveling northbound on South Military Trail struck the pedestrian as they crossed the roadway from east to west, as reported by WPBF 25. The driver was taken to a local hospital following the crash, though the station did not specify the nature of any injuries. WPBF reported the incident Thursday morning, noting the crash occurred at the intersection of Lake Worth Road and Military Trail in Palm Springs.
A Corridor With a Deadly Track Record
Thursday's fatality follows other recent pedestrian deaths. Just two days earlier, a 24-year-old man died after a mid-block dash across South Military Trail in West Palm Beach. A Boca Raton Tribune headline also described a fatal hit-and-run in Lake Worth.
The neighborhood around Thursday's crash has seen this before. Palm Springs Police were already investigating a June hit-and-run in which an unidentified driver in a Toyota Highlander struck and killed a man on Kirk Road just south of Lake Worth Road, then fled, per Flanagan & Bodenheimer. That case prompted police to release traffic camera footage seeking tips from the community.
Why Military Trail Keeps Turning Up in Crash Reports
Traffic safety studies compiled by the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency found that half of the county's 10 most hazardous intersections sit along the Military Trail corridor, and that 84 percent of deadly pedestrian and bicyclist crashes countywide occur on roads with three or more lanes, according to Demand The Limits. A separate crash analysis published in May provided countywide crash counts, per ArcGIS StoryMaps.
Hoodline discusses gaps between signalized crossings on South Military Trail.
The Village of Palm Springs has a Vision Zero ordinance, while Lake Worth Road and Military Trail are referenced in connection with the corridor, according to the Village of Palm Springs. Separately, Greenacres families sought a crosswalk near Greenacres Elementary on Haverhill Road, according to Greenacres families demanding a crosswalk.
The Village of Palm Springs identifies Military Trail and Lake Worth Road among the area’s major traffic carriers, along with Congress Avenue, Forest Hill Boulevard and Tenth Avenue North. Greenacres planning records identify Lake Worth Road, Jog Road and Military Trail as significant transportation facilities in the city.
Legal Stakes for Drivers and Pedestrians
Under Florida Statute 316.130, pedestrians crossing outside marked crosswalks must yield the right-of-way to oncoming vehicles, according to DeLoach, Hofstra & Cavonis, P.A. The pedestrian was crossing mid-block.
Any resulting civil claims would hinge on how fault is assigned. A Palm Beach County jury recently sentenced a driver to 10 years in prison for fleeing the scene of a fatal Lantana pedestrian crash.
The broader numbers underscore why South Florida keeps drawing scrutiny. Smart Growth America's 2026 “Dangerous by Design” report ranked Florida fifth among all states for pedestrian fatality rates, recording 3,726 pedestrian deaths between 2020 and 2024, according to WUSF.
