A man was struck and killed by a car while crossing West Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale on Monday morning, according to police. The crash happened around 10 a.m. near Southwest 18th Avenue, shutting down the roadway's eastbound lanes for roughly two hours while investigators worked the scene.
Paramedics declared the pedestrian dead at the scene, according to the Miami Herald. The driver remained on scene and was taken to Broward Health Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries — the same Level I trauma center that routinely receives severe crash patients from Fort Lauderdale streets, per Hoodline's prior reporting. Fort Lauderdale police spokesman Sgt. Patrick O'Brien confirmed the basic details of the crash but has not released the names of either the pedestrian or the driver, nor specifics about what led up to the impact, the Herald reported.
Local television footage showed Sky 10 above the scene and a white tarp covering the pedestrian at the intersection as officers redirected traffic during the investigation. The Miami Herald reported that eastbound lanes were closed from roughly 10 a.m. until noon while police worked the scene. Fort Lauderdale police reopened those lanes around noon Monday. The department said the story will be updated as more information becomes available.
A Dangerous Stretch of Roadway
The crash site sits on State Road 842, better known locally as Broward Boulevard — a major east-west route that crosses Interstate 95 and enters downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Monday's fatality follows a fatal Brightline collision involving a Fort Lauderdale woman at tracks just south of West Broward Boulevard.
Investigation Still in Early Stages
Fort Lauderdale police have not said whether the pedestrian was crossing within a marked crosswalk, whether speed or distraction played a role, or whether any citations or charges will follow.
Under Florida Statute 316.130, drivers must yield to pedestrians in marked or unmarked crosswalks, while pedestrians crossing outside those crosswalks are required to yield to oncoming traffic and avoid stepping suddenly into a vehicle's path, according to Haddad and Associates. Florida follows a pure comparative negligence system, according to Haddad and Associates.
Part of a Broader Pattern
Federal highway safety data ranks Florida fourth highest among U.S. states in pedestrian fatality rates, at 3.41 deaths per 100,000 residents compared with a national average of 2.18, the same USA Today analysis found. Monday's death adds another name to that toll, though police have yet to release it. Hoodline will update this story as Fort Lauderdale police release more details.
