A 60-year-old man walking near the center median of Stevenson Boulevard in Fremont was struck and killed by a vehicle at about 4:15 a.m. Monday, becoming the eighth person to die in a traffic collision in the city so far this year. The victim has been identified by the coroner's bureau as David Elliott, who authorities say had no confirmed address.
According to The Mercury News, Fremont police responded to a report of a vehicle striking a pedestrian on Stevenson Boulevard just west of Marietta Drive. Authorities say Elliott was walking eastbound near the center median when the left front portion of the vehicle struck him. He was taken to an area hospital, where medical personnel continued lifesaving efforts before he was pronounced dead.
The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with officers, per police. Investigators said a preliminary probe found no indication that alcohol impairment contributed to the collision.
A Year of Rising Fatalities on Fremont Roads
Elliott's death marks Fremont's eighth fatal traffic collision of 2026, a toll that arrives despite the city posting a notably safer year in 2025. Traffic fatalities in Fremont dropped 42% from 12 deaths in 2024 to just seven in 2025, according to the City of Fremont's Vision Zero safety tracking. That 2025 total was below the city's 2024 total of 12 deaths.
Reaching eight fatal crashes by early September suggests 2026 could return closer to the higher totals of past years. The city's first fatality of 2026 came on January 2, when a bicyclist was struck and killed on Osgood Road, kicking off a string of deadly collisions that has continued through the year. Nationally, traffic deaths fell 12% in 2025 compared to 2024, according to a National Safety Council report cited by the Vision Zero Network in March.
Unhoused Residents and Reckless Driving Cited as Growing Factors
City Vision Zero reports track traffic fatalities. Elliott's lack of a confirmed address is noted in the coroner's records.
The crash occurred on Stevenson Boulevard. Under California Vehicle Code Section 21954, pedestrians crossing outside a marked or unmarked crosswalk must yield to oncoming vehicles that pose an immediate hazard, though drivers are still required to exercise due care, per FindLaw. Separately, under California Vehicle Code Section 21950(e), officers are barred from stopping pedestrians for improper crossing unless a reasonably careful person would judge there to be immediate danger of a collision, according to Justia Law.
Fremont's Deadly Year Continues to Mount
Monday's crash follows a string of fatal collisions Hoodline has tracked throughout 2026, including a wrong-way e-bike crash near I-880 in June and a high-speed Dodge Challenger SRT crash on Grimmer Boulevard in March. Local emergency response is also discussed in city safety documentation.
Fremont police are asking anyone with information about Monday's crash to contact the department's Traffic Unit at 510-790-6760. Tipsters can also submit anonymous information through the Fremont Police Department website or by texting “Tip FremontPD” along with a short message to 888-777.
