Crash Overview

Location Description

This crash took place at the intersection of Vance Avenue and Walnut Street, in the South City area of Memphis, Tennessee. Vance Avenue is a local east-west corridor embedded in a historically significant but economically disinvested part of the city. Though the surrounding street grid lends itself to walkability, inconsistent sidewalk conditions, minimal traffic-calming, and a lack of clear pedestrian infrastructure present ongoing risks for people walking, biking, or using transit.

The area sits within a rapidly changing development context. Historically home to black neighborhoods and large-scale public housing like Cleaborn Homes and Foote Homes, South City has undergone redevelopment into mixed-income housing in recent years. However, legacy infrastructure—including wide roadways, inadequate crossings, and industrial land use nearby—continues to prioritize vehicle movement over safe, multimodal access. Local buses serve the area, but heavy through-traffic, lack of shade, and disconnected sidewalks can make walking unpleasant or unsafe.

Vance Avenue has some pedestrian infrastructure but suffers from poor maintenance and inconsistent crossings, especially at Walnut Street, which is narrower and flanked by chain-link fences, retaining walls, and vacant lots. The broader area is shaped by past planning decisions that favored cars, and current redesign efforts have yet to fully transform these inherited conditions.

Why was this crash selected? 

• There are multiple risk factors present, including but not limited to:  
  • Mixed traffic types (buses, personal vehicles, occasional freight)
  • A lack of physical separation between road users
  • An incomplete pedestrian network
  • Ongoing redevelopment pressures
  • Legacy street design that hasn’t kept pace with the needs of residents and pedestrians.
• This hit-and-run crash had no media coverage; Strong Towns wanted to step up and help tell this story for the people involved and for locals in the area.
• There have been other fatal crashes at this intersection and in this area too. 

What additional information is available? 

• A redacted police report.
• Diagrams to assist you with visualizing and understanding the measurements of the crash location.
• A folder containing the speed study and processed speed data. 

• Redacted Memphis Crash Report.pdf200 KB
• walnut-st (1).png200 KB
• vance-ave (1).png200 KB