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In Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, King Street draws heavy foot traffic from tourists, residents, and weekend bar crowds. Lined with restaurants, boutiques, and the waterfront at the end, it is one of the most popular areas in the city, but it can also be one of the most deceptively dangerous places for pedestrians.
A steady flow of vehicles moves through this busy commercial corridor, which runs through the heart of Old Town. With people frequently crossing between blocks, intersections, and crosswalks, collisions between vehicles and pedestrians can happen quickly when traffic conditions change or a driver fails to notice a pedestrian entering the street.
After a crash, many people wonder who is responsible when a pedestrian is hit on King Street, especially when questions arise about right-of-way, driver behavior, and pedestrian actions.
Regan Zambri Long’s Alexandria pedestrian accident lawyers regularly represent people injured in crashes on busy streets like King Street. Determining responsibility in these situations often involves several factors under Virginia law, including right-of-way rules and the state’s strict contributory negligence standard.
While Alexandria sees pedestrian and cyclist crashes across the city, many of the most serious incidents are concentrated on a small number of corridors.
Recent data helps explain why King Street receives close attention when a serious crash occurs. Between January 2024 and April 2025, Alexandria recorded 106 crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists, and 19 of those crashes led to death or serious injury. Sixty-eight percent of these incidents occurred on just eight roadways across the city, with the western part of Upper King Street identified as the most lethal corridor during the reporting period. During that same time frame, there were two fatalities on King Street, one severe injury, and six additional incidents involving pedestrians or cyclists.
Many of the most serious crashes occur where pedestrians and vehicles interact the most. About 73% of pedestrian or cyclist crashes involving death or serious injury happened within or near intersections, usually around crosswalks or traffic signals.
These crashes also all occurred on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or lower, showing that serious pedestrian collisions are happening on ordinary city streets. On busy corridors like King Street, where people cross frequently, and vehicles move through steady traffic, even a brief moment of inattention can lead to a serious accident.
When a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle in Old Town Alexandria, responsibility usually comes down to whether someone failed to use reasonable care. Virginia law looks closely at the actions of the driver and the pedestrian in the moments leading up to the collision.
Drivers have a duty to operate their vehicles safely and remain alert for people crossing the street. In areas like Old Town, where pedestrians move between shops, restaurants, and intersections, this includes watching for people entering crosswalks or stepping into the roadway.
Pedestrians also have responsibilities under Virginia traffic laws. A person crossing the street must follow pedestrian signals, use crosswalks where available, and enter the roadway in a way that gives approaching drivers a reasonable opportunity to see them and slow down.
After a crash, investigators review several types of evidence to understand what happened. Police reports, witness statements, traffic cameras, and nearby security footage help establish where the pedestrian was crossing, how the driver approached the area, and whether either party failed to act with reasonable care.
In determining who is responsible when a pedestrian is hit in the Old Town neighborhood, Virginia’s contributory negligence rule becomes one of the most important issues in the case. Under this rule, an injured person may be unable to recover compensation if their own actions contributed to the crash.
Virginia applies this rule strictly. Unlike Washington, DC, which created a limited exception for pedestrians and other “vulnerable users” under §50–2204.52 of the DC Code, Virginia has not adopted a similar rule limiting contributory negligence in pedestrian injury claims. While Virginia traffic laws include safety protections for vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, they do not change the contributory negligence standard that applies in civil injury cases.
Because of this, the pedestrian’s actions are closely examined after a collision. Investigators may look at whether the person crossed in a marked crosswalk, followed pedestrian signals, or entered the roadway in a way that gave an approaching driver enough time to slow down. Even small details matter under this rule. A pedestrian who steps off the curb outside a crosswalk, even slightly, may be accused of contributing to the crash.
Pedestrians do have the right of way in most situations under Virginia law, but the rule does not apply to every crossing. Whether a pedestrian had the right of way is an important factor in determining who is responsible for a crash.
Busy intersections throughout Old Town see a steady mix of pedestrian and vehicle traffic, which is one reason right-of-way rules matter so much in this area. Several nearby streets have also recorded repeated pedestrian crashes over the past decade. Since 2016, more than a dozen people have been struck and injured while walking along Patrick Street and Henry Street in Old Town.
Those incidents led the city to adopt no-turn-on-red restrictions at several nearby intersections. Other major streets have seen similar patterns. From 2021 through mid-2024, Duke Street recorded 30 crashes resulting in injuries, nearly twice the number reported on the next closest corridor, Mount Vernon Avenue, which saw 16.
Virginia Code §46.2-924 requires drivers to stop for pedestrians who are crossing within a marked crosswalk or at an intersection where a pedestrian is lawfully crossing. Drivers must remain stopped until the pedestrian has cleared the driver’s lane of travel. Recent updates to this law have strengthened the penalties for drivers who fail to stop when a pedestrian is seriously injured.
However, pedestrians also have responsibilities under Virginia traffic laws. A person who crosses outside a marked crosswalk or steps into traffic without giving an approaching driver enough time to slow down may create a situation in which the driver cannot reasonably avoid a collision.
As a result, right-of-way questions become central in pedestrian accident claims. Investigators examine where the pedestrian entered the roadway, whether a crosswalk was used, and how the driver approached the area in the moments before the crash.
Pedestrian accidents on busy streets like King Street can raise complicated questions about how a crash happened and whether you may be able to recover compensation.
Regan Zambri Long’s Alexandria pedestrian accident lawyers can explain how Virginia law applies to your case and help you understand what options may be available after a serious pedestrian accident.
Contact us for a free consultation to see how we can help. We charge no fees unless we win your case.
Have you or your loved one sustained injuries in Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia? Regan Zambri Long PLLC has the best lawyers in the country to analyze your case and answer the questions you may have.