Fatal Gravois crash raises pedestrian safety fears

ST. LOUIS - A woman died after being struck while crossing Gravois in South St. Louis on Sunday night. The tragedy has renewed urgent questions about why one of St. Louis' busiest corridors remains so dangerous for pedestrians. The incident follows years of safety concerns along Gravois. Between 2020 and 2024, a 5.7-mile stretch of the roadway saw 22 fatalities, including eight pedestrians and 77 people suffered serious injuries. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) acknowledges that crash rates on this corridor are above the statewide average. Safety advocate Jenn DeRose highlighted the ongoing dangers. "Its just sad and really unsurprising we have seen so many deaths in the last few years on this terrible stretch of road and its going to keep happening unless changes are made right away," DeRose said. After the woman was struck and killed near Gravois and Allen, community groups are now discussing possible changes to make the area safer, including redesign ideas involving Allen Avenue and a nearby historic church property. Dana Woodall of the Soulard Restoration Group emphasized the need for immediate action, calling for a speed limit reduction. "We need a speed limit reduction we need Gravios to be 25 miles per," Woodall said. She also pointed out the significant distances pedestrians must travel to find safe crossing points. "The safe cross walks , there is one 150 yards this way at Russell and the next by Lafayette that is a pedestrian cross walk its a long way to go to cross safety," Woodall stated. The Soulard Restoration Group says conversations about simplifying the intersection were already underway before the deadly crash. MODOT states that it is studying the corridor and considering changes aimed at reducing crashes. These potential improvements include pedestrian-focused upgrades, signal enhancements and roadway modifications designed to slow traffic and improve visibility. MODOT will continue its study of the Gravois corridor, considering various improvements to enhance safety and reduce crashes. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KTVI. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KTVI staff before being published.