CATONSVILLE, Md. — A 48-year-old man died of his injuries about a week after a vehicle hit him on Route 40, the Baltimore National Pike, near Ingleside Avenue in Catonsville.
Jarrett Ayers died Tuesday after being struck by a vehicle last Wednesday, February 4, according to Baltimore County Police.
Police said Ayers was in the westbound roadway around 9:40 p.m. when he was hit. The driver remained at the scene, and police are still looking into the crash's circumstances.
Man dies days after being struck in Catonsville on Baltimore National Pike
The fatal crash occurred along Route 40, within a corridor the state has identified as particularly dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users.
This week, Maryland State Highway Administrator Will Pines announced Route 40 between Charing Cross Road and Nuwood Drive would be among five state highways receiving new safety improvements - part of the state's Pedestrian Safety Action Plan.
READ MORE: Catonsville’s Rt. 40 among state highways slated for safety improvements
"Unfortunately, throughout the state, we encounter way too many road deaths in Maryland," Pines told WMAR-2 News via Zoom on Wednesday.
Between 2019 and 2023, the Route 40 corridor saw 27 crashes involving vulnerable road users, including three fatalities.
"We know from the existing data that this is a very dangerous area and we want to make the improvements to the corridor to make it safer," Pines added.
Walter Wilson, who waits for the bus in the area to go to work each day, hoped the upgrades would come fast.
"It's real scary, because you've got a highway here, basically. You can take Ingleside [Avenue] right here, or it's no crossing over. It's hectic, it's not as safe as you think it could be," Wilson said.
An In Focus look at rounds 1 and 2 of the Pedestrian Safety Action project
For the list of state highways in line for upgrades, planned improvements could include fixing missing sidewalks, adding bike lanes and installing additional pedestrian safety features at traffic signals.
"So we want to make sure that our roadways are safe for all users. Some of the key ways of doing that is to help reduce the number of conflict points," Pines said.
The public can comment on what improvements they want to see the state implement.
