A 65-year-old Wellington man has died days after being struck by a car while standing on a median along South Military Trail in West Palm Beach, marking another deadly crash on a corridor that has claimed multiple lives in recent weeks. The man, identified in crash reports only by initials P.A., was pronounced deceased at 11:51 p.m. on September 8, three days after the collision near Kelmar Drive.
According to The Boca Raton Tribune, the crash happened around 12:34 p.m. on September 5 as P.A. was crossing Military Trail eastbound just north of Kelmar Drive. He had been standing on the center median island separating the northbound and southbound turn lanes when he stumbled into the inside left lane, directly into the path of a northbound 2019 Kia Optima driven by 58-year-old Greenacres resident G.C.
Crash reports indicate G.C. attempted to brake but was unable to avoid striking P.A., whose body was projected onto the vehicle's windshield before he fell to the pavement in the northbound left lane. The Kia's front left corner made the impact. G.C. and two passengers in the vehicle, identified as A.C. and D.C., were wearing seatbelts and sustained no injuries, per the same account.
Emergency medical personnel transported P.A. to a hospital, where he was listed in critical condition before ultimately dying from his injuries three days later. Investigator Lynch of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Traffic Division compiled the crash narrative, and authorities have since notified P.A.'s next of kin. The sheriff's office Vehicular Homicide Investigation Unit is investigating the case, which carries case number 26092821 and remains active, the outlet reports.
Impairment Ruled Out for Driver, Cited for Pedestrian
Investigators determined that driver alcohol or drug impairment was not a factor in the crash. However, the same report notes that pedestrian alcohol or drug use was marked as a factor by investigators. Under Florida Statute § 316.130, pedestrians crossing outside a marked crosswalk must yield the right-of-way to vehicles and are prohibited from suddenly stepping or stumbling from a curb or median into an oncoming vehicle's path.
A Corridor With a Deadly Track Record
This is not the first tragedy at Military Trail and Kelmar Drive. In June 2025, another pedestrian was struck while crossing near the same intersection and died days later at a local hospital, according to The Boca Raton Tribune. In October 2024, authorities sought information about a hit-and-run near the same junction, according to a CBS12 News report.
The September 5 crash also comes less than a week after a 24-year-old pedestrian died on September 1 after being struck by an SUV while crossing South Military Trail mid-block in unincorporated West Palm Beach on August 30, as previously reported by Hoodline. That crash also reportedly involved suspected pedestrian impairment.
Corridor Ranks Among County's Most Dangerous
Palm Beach County's Safety Action Plan identifies Military Trail as a priority corridor for safety planning, according to county data published on ArcGIS. Separately, traffic engineering data compiled by the county found that half of its 10 most crash-prone intersections sit along the Military Trail corridor, including major junctions at Forest Hill Boulevard, PGA Boulevard, and Okeechobee Boulevard, according to Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel, PLLC.
The ArcGIS analysis also examines crash severity in Palm Beach County.
Florida's Statewide Pedestrian Safety Crisis
The pattern along Military Trail reflects a broader statewide problem. Florida continues to face pedestrian-safety challenges, while pedestrians and bicyclists remain part of the state's broader traffic-safety problem. A Smart Growth America study reported by WUSF found Florida ranked fifth in the 2026 Dangerous by Design report.
In response to the mounting toll, Palm Beach County has a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, and the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program is cited in connection with such planning, as Hoodline previously reported. The plan uses 2019-2023 crash data in its safety planning, though for families along this stretch of road, the changes have not come soon enough.
