Police investigating crash that killed pedestrian in Fairfield

FAIRFIELD — State Police are still looking into a deadly crash that killed a woman and injured another in November — the latest in an “alarming” trend of pedestrian deaths, according to a study released Wednesday.

The number of pedestrian fatalities more than doubled from 2009 to 2018, after decreasing for three decades before that, according to AAA’s new study. Connecticut’s 2020 numbers are still being finalized but were lower than 2019 due to the pandemic, officials said.

Christine McMahon, 69, of Fairfield, was killed when she was struck by a vehicle on Nov. 7, according to a report from Connecticut State Police from Troop G.

State police said a driver from Stratford in a Ford F350 Super Duty was turning left from Mill Plain Road onto the Interstate 95 north Exit 21. They said two pedestrians, McMahon and another Fairfield resident, were crossing the ramp at that time.

“Vehicle No. 1 struck the two pedestrians and came to a stop,” state police said. “One pedestrian, McMahon, sustained an apparent head injury while the other ... had minor injuries.”

State Police said both pedestrians were brought to St. Vincent’s Hospital. On the morning of Nov. 9, they said, Troop G was notified that McMahon had died from her injuries.

Her obituary said McMahon enjoyed taking walks every day, reading, bird feeding, as well as “spending time with her family and loved ones and showering them with selfless and endless love.”

McMahon graduated from Roger Ludlowe High School and Central Connecticut State College. After moving around the country with her three daughters, she returned and settled in Fairfield, according to her obituary.

“She worked as a sales manager and later began her career in the Dean's Office at Sacred Heart University, where she sent her youngest to school,” the obituary said. “Christine was a talented artist and a true lover of animals and nature.”

According to a report from the American Automobile Association, more than 51,00 pedestrians, including more than 430 in Connecticut, were killed across the country from 2009 to 2018.

The nonprofit reports the number is generally increasing each year from 4,109 in 2009 to 6,374 in 2018. It said 2019 saw slightly fewer pedestrian fatalities at 6,205, but noted that number is still the second most since 1990.

Within Connecticut, 26 people were killed while walking in 2009. That number grew to 59 pedestrians killed in 2018 and 54 in 2019. The 2020 data hasn’t yet been finalized, but the UConn Crash Data Repository reports 43 pedestrians were killed last year, despite the drop in traffic due to the pandemic, according to the AAA release.

“Pedestrian safety is a crisis, not only across the country but in Connecticut,” said Fran Mayko, AAA

Northeast spokeswoman “Even though 2020 numbers are down because fewer people were driving last year, 43 deaths is still an alarming number.”

The report also found that fatalities among the 60to-69 age group more than doubled over the past decade — from 436 in 2009 to 943 in 2018.

The accident is currently under investigation and anyone who witnessed the accident is asked to contact Troop G at 203-696-2500.