Nearly 100 Anchorage pedestrians have died after being struck by vehicles, according to a bulletin from the state Section of Epidemiology issued Wednesday.
In 2025, 15 pedestrians were killed by vehicles, the same number as 2024. Both years marked the city’s highest pedestrian death toll in more than a decade.
The high number of pedestrian fatalities in Anchorage is unacceptable, said Graham Downey, deputy director of community and economic development to Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance.
“When it comes to people dying on our roads or people being injured on our roads, there are a number of factors,” Downey said. “Safety is everyone's responsibility."
Data show that deaths are influenced by both environmental factors, like the amount of daylight, and behavioral factors, like erratic driving.
The report shows that pedestrian fatalities were concentrated in three areas: East Downtown, Midtown and along C Street. Those areas all have relatively higher speed limits, Downey said.
“Someone is much more likely to die above 45 mph than they are below 45 mph,” he said. “So when we have roads that are designed for those higher speeds, there's just going to be more energy involved in the collision, and someone is more likely to die.”
Pedestrian fatalities are most common during twilight in early fall, Downey said. That’s because people are still getting used to driving in lower light, after more hours of daylight in the summer.
Another factor is substance use. Anchorage traffic records show drivers involved in pedestrian deaths often were driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances. About a third of drivers fled the scene, making it more difficult to determine what factors led to the accident.
So far this year, three people have been killed by vehicles.
