Information About the Crash
On May 6, 2025 AAPD posted on Facebook about the investigation of a fatal pedestrian crash that happened on May 5 at the intersection of Huron and N. Fourth Ave.
Reddit user Significant_Bat3046 shared details in the post Hit and Run that described the immediate aftermath of a crash at the intersection of Huron and N. Fourth Ave.
The crash was also covered in articles from MLive on May 6 and May 8. The May 8 article identified the pedestrian as Robert Murray of Ann Arbor and also reported that the driver of the vehicle that hit him had been charged with three felonies related to the crash.
Screenshot of AAPD Facebook post.
AAPD released the UD-10 report for this incident to CIAA. The diagram and narrative are shown below describing how Robert Murray attempted to cross Huron in a motorized wheelchair during the walk phase of the pedestrian signal. Robert couldn’t complete his crossing before the signals changed. He waved at the approaching car before the impact. The driver fled the scene following the crash.
CIAA reviewed footage from the cameras on the County building at the corner of Huron and N. Fourth Ave., which recorded the crash from multiple angles. The narrative in the UD-10 accurately matches what the videos show: Robert Murray’s motorized wheelchair slows down while he is crossing the first lane of Huron, as if the battery had gone low or the wheelchair had some mechanical failure.
The camera footage also shows the condition of the intersection before the crash. The area was under construction, the sidewalk was partially blocked by orange barrels and barricades, and the high visibility crosswalk markings had been removed. MLive covered a May 7th protest at the site, and photographs included with the article show that two days after the crash the high visibility markings were still not replaced. Images collected by CIAA at the crash site on May 18 show that the crosswalk markings had been replaced.
Excerpt of UD-10 with diagram and narrative.
A screen capture from the security camera footage showing Huron shortly before the crash.
Huron and N. Fourth Ave. This image was taken on May 18, after the high visibility markings in the crosswalk had been replaced.
City staff shared details of the crash with the Transportation Commission during the June, 2025 meeting.
These are the details about the location and the event that were reviewed in the meeting:
- This intersection is under MDOT jurisdiction
- The crash took place shortly before midnight and in the dark
- Area was illuminated by properly working streetlights
- Pavement conditions were wet from earlier rain
- Pavement markings had been removed as part of an MDOT project
- The Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) was implemented and working
- Driver was impaired by alcohol
- Driver entered the intersection with a green signal
- Pedestrian entered the intersection in the crosswalk on the walk phase
- Pedestrian was impaired
Recommendations
Evaluation of This Crash By Transportation Experts
Engineering staff and public safety officers from the City of Ann Arbor have already evaluated the crash. Adding evaluation to the City’s post-crash procedures represents a big step towards the goal of decreasing serious injury and fatal crashes, and staff deserve positive recognition for this improvement.
The City’s process isn’t perfect yet, though. One obvious opportunity for improvement is that the reports should be documented and posted for review by the public. So far the results of this crash analysis have only been shared verbally during the June Transportation Commission meeting. (Details of another crash that happened in the Miller Ave. construction zone were shared in the July Transportation Commission meeting, and the document has been added to the meeting information in the City’s boards and commissions calendar system.)
Additionally, staff have limited the scope for this enhanced analysis process to only the most serious crashes that involve a fatality or a very serious injury. Considering that City leaders have affirmed and reaffirmed Ann Arbor’s goal of zero fatalities or serious injuries from traffic crashes, all serious injury crashes should be evaluated to help prevent similar tragedies. The severity of crashes is defined objectively according to a standard in Michigan’s UD-10 Crash Reporting Manual, and the severity of each crash is included in the incident report. City staff should broaden their scope and evaluate and report on all crashes that meet the criteria for serious injury, as defined by the UD-10 manual.
Note: Serious injuries are characterized by one or more of the following: severe laceration resulting in exposure of underlying tissues/muscle/organs or resulting in significant loss of blood; broken or distorted extremity (arm or leg); crush injuries; suspected skull, chest, or abdominal injury other than bruises or minor lacerations; significant burns (second and third degree burns over 10% or more of the body); unconsciousness when taken from the crash scene; or paralysis.
Make Huron Slower and Narrower
From Ann Arbor’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan:
Reducing vehicular speeds throughout Ann Arbor is likely the most effective, singular approach to improving safety on Ann Arbor’s streets. The city must work with MDOT to fully achieve this objective, as many streets are under state jurisdiction.
And:
Vehicle speeds are influenced by how fast a driver feels they can safely travel. Narrower travel lanes require greater caution to maintain the lane and avoid conflicts and may lead to lower vehicle speeds and improved safety.
And:
Street reconfiguration, or road diets, have demonstrated safety benefits, often reducing travel speeds and making it easier and safer for people walking to cross the street by simplifying the crossing. A road diet reduces the overall number and/or size of travel lanes on a street and repurposes that space for other uses, such as bicycle infrastructure, dedicated transit facilities, or public space.
We already know what we need to do, and we’ve known it since at least June of 2021, when the City’s Transportation plan was published. It is worth noting here that a reconfigured Huron with fewer, narrower lanes would mean that a person in a slow wheelchair would be exposed to oncoming traffic for a shorter period of time. A reconfigured and narrowed Huron would likely result in slower vehicle speeds–including for vehicles driven by impaired drivers.
Get Control From MDOT
Changing Huron in a meaningful way so that it properly reflects the safety ideals put forth in Ann Arbor’s Transportation Plan probably will not be possible until control of Huron is transferred from MDOT to the City. Ann Arbor and MDOT began negotiations to transfer control to the city in April, 2025. No update on that progress has been shared since then.
Improve Standards for Work Zones
The intersection of Huron and N. Fourth Ave. was under construction in May. The high visibility paint markings in the crosswalk had been removed from the pavement, but the new paint had not yet been applied. MLive covered a May 7th protest at the site, and photographs included with the article show that two days after the crash, the markings were still not replaced.
Engineering staff should include in their scope of work and bid documents clear standards for how safety features like high visibility pedestrian markings need to be maintained during construction projects.