Pedestrian struck on Highway 95, seriously injured in overnight crash

A pedestrian was seriously injured just after midnight on South Highway 95 near Mile Marker 14 after a northbound 2014 Chevrolet Malibu struck the person in the roadway, the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies were called at about 12:02 a.m. on April 29 to the crash scene in Yuma County. Investigators said the driver attempted to avoid hitting the pedestrian but was unsuccessful. Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department crews responded and transported the pedestrian to Onvida Health with serious injuries.

The sheriff’s office said neither impairment nor speed appears to have been a factor in the collision, narrowing the focus to other circumstances surrounding the roadway encounter. The case remains under investigation as detectives sort out where the pedestrian was in the travel lane, how visible the person was overnight, and what other conditions may have played a role on the dark stretch of highway.

YCSO identified the case as DR# 2026-26906 and asked anyone with information to call 928-783-4427 or 78-CRIME, or submit an anonymous tip online. The location places the crash on a major corridor for Yuma County, where U.S. Route 95 serves as the main north-south highway through Somerton and Yuma and carries commuters, freight traffic and local drivers through long rural stretches.

The seriousness of the collision fits a broader safety concern on Arizona roads. The Arizona Department of Transportation says the state recorded 121,107 crashes and 1,228 traffic fatalities in 2024. ADOT also says pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities have risen sharply in recent years, with 3,276 bicyclist or pedestrian-involved crashes reported on state roadways from 2013 to 2022.

That statewide pattern gives added weight to overnight pedestrian crashes on highways like 95, where lower visibility and faster traffic can turn a brief roadway conflict into a life-threatening event. A fatal pedestrian crash on Highway 95 near Yuma in February 2024 showed how dangerous the corridor can be when people and vehicles cross paths unexpectedly.