Walking was Craig Alan “Fred” Friederichsen’s only way to get around.

It was also the way his life ended on Dec. 14, when he was struck and killed by a Chevrolet Camaro traveling on Highway 50. The homeless man had been staying in a small building off Tuscaloosa Road when he died.

Friederichsen’s death was ruled accidental, but the tragedy got Community Liaison Glenda Richardson thinking of ways the Columbus Police Department could prevent similar deaths from happening.

“I would see him all the time not walking with any reflective clothing on, and I just thought, ‘What can we do to make sure that this doesn’t keep happening?’” she told The Dispatch.

Richardson landed on a pedestrian safety initiative called Bright Steps: Walking Safely in Columbus, which aims to enhance pedestrian safety while remembering those, like Friderichsen, who have been killed while walking on a dark street.

At a launch event Thursday, high-visibility walking gear was distributed along with pedestrian safety information in an effort to bring awareness to both pedestrians and drivers. The department will continue to have reflective gear available for whomever needs it.

“We want people that are driving to slow up in Columbus, so that people are walking safely,” Richardson said. “We want to bring attention to the fact that we do have the reflectors to go on the arm. We have something that can go across the shoulder like a sash. We just want to bring awareness.”

Pedestrian deaths in the United States reached a 40-year high in 2022, with an average of 20 people losing their life to a moving vehicle daily, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. While that number has slightly declined, drivers still struck and killed more than 7,000 people in 2023, a decrease of only 5.4% from 2022.

The issue is especially prevalent for members of the homeless community. Many of them are walking because they have no other choice, Richardson said.

“They don’t have vehicles. They don’t have bikes, so walking is their only way to get around,” she said. “We want everyone to walk safely, so if we can provide reflective clothing, I feel like that’s the least we can do to help them out.”

Runners and cyclists are also at risk, Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant said during the launch. With cold-weather clothing often darker in color, it can make it especially difficult for drivers to see people on the roads this time of year, he said.

“It’s not only just the homeless,” he said. “It’s people out recreationally running on the roadways. The Bright Steps will help a great deal towards the homeless and the walking and the running – the people that are just out to enjoy their day.”

Chief Joseph Daughtry said it’s important for drivers to avoid distracted driving and slow down to avoid endangering pedestrians.

“We’ve been writing speeding citations, so people are slowing down, but now we want them to pay attention to people that are walking,” he said.

Merchant hopes the Bright Steps initiative will encourage anyone using the road to be more aware of their surroundings.

“We (hope to) educate the people that are out there using highways in a pedestrian manner,” he said. “But more importantly, bring awareness to the situation that is real. You’ve got to pay attention when you use the road if you’re in an automobile (or) if you’re on foot.”

McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.