On Sunday, February 22, 2026, at approximately 6:30 p.m., police officers responded to a traffic collision on Beach Boulevard and Williams Drive involving a white Toyota Camry and a pedestrian, according to the Huntington Beach Police Department.
Upon arrival, officers located the driver of the Toyota, a 68-year-old male from Huntington Beach, uninjured.
The pedestrian, a 58-year-old male from Orange, was found unconscious in the roadway. He was transported to a local hospital and later pronounced deceased.
The driver of the Toyota cooperated with investigators, and impairment does not appear to be a factor. It is unknown if impairment was a factor in the pedestrian’s case.
Based on the preliminary investigation, the Toyota was traveling southbound on Beach Boulevard and struck the pedestrian north of the intersection with Williams Drive.
The collision investigation is ongoing and is being handled by the HBPD Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT). Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or the events leading up to it is encouraged to contact HBPD Traffic Investigator S. Flynn at (714) 536-5666.
Recent California Pedestrian Accident Trends (2022–Present)
Since the Freedom to Walk Act legalized most forms of jaywalking on January 1, 2023, the data has shown a slight decline in fatalities, though total accident numbers vary by region:
- Fatalities: Pedestrian deaths in California dropped 8.8% in 2023 (from 1,213 to 1,106). Preliminary 2024 data indicates a further 13% to 15.6% reduction in deaths during the first half of the year.
- Total Accidents: While fatal crashes dropped, some areas reported more frequent non-fatal incidents. For example, the San Francisco Bay Area saw over 40,000 total traffic crashes in late 2024, an increase of roughly 2,000 from the previous year.
Long-Term Growth in Accidents
Despite the recent two-year decline, the current risk level is far higher than a decade ago:
- 80% Increase: Pedestrian deaths rose by 80% between 2009 and 2023, while other types of traffic fatalities only grew by 13% in the same period.
- Highest in Nation: California consistently records the highest number of pedestrian deaths in the U.S., with a fatality rate nearly 25% higher than the national average.
Primary Contributing Factors
Experts and state reports cite several reasons for the long-term rise in accidents, most of which are unrelated to jaywalking laws:
- Vehicle Size: Light trucks (SUVs and pickups) accounted for 54% of pedestrian fatalities in 2023, a significant surge from previous years.
- Visibility & Infrastructure: Over 75% of fatalities occur after dark, and roughly 65% occur in locations without a sidewalk.
- Hit-and-Runs: 25% of all fatal pedestrian crashes are now hit-and-runs, up from 20% a decade ago.
To address these trends, California implemented a new “Daylighting” law (AB 413) in 2025, which prohibits parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk to improve visibility between drivers and pedestrians