WORCESTER, Mass. - According to WalkMassachusetts, 70 people were hit and killed on roadways across Massachusetts in 2023 totaling about 20% of the state's deadly car crashes. 

Locally, in the last month and a half, at least three pedestrians have been struck by cars in Worcester. One crash back in late June left a teenager dead on Belmont Street. Most recently, another teen was seriously injured on Shrewsbury Street Monday. 

Advocacy group WalkMassachusetts promotes safer and easier walking. Co-executive director Brendan Kearney said Worcester has a lot of wide, two-lane each each-direction roadways making it easier for drivers to speed and in return, making it more dangerous for people outside of those cars.

"Shrewsbury Street or like a Park Ave., especially at certain hours of the day when there isn't a lot of vehicle traffic, it feels like a place you can drive a lot faster than you probably should be and you need to slow down. So, that’s number one,” Kearney said. “For pedestrians, they need to understand that people are driving way too fast and even if you have the light or even if you push the button and the blinking yellow lights are going, you need to be careful."

Kearney said Worcester has taken steps to improve roadway safety, pointing to the changes made to Mill Street. He said lowering the city-wide s