A cyclist died over the weekend in a car crash — and it wasn't the first such death on Wilmington streets this year.
The latest collision took place on Wrightsville Avenue not far from Novant’s Orthopedic hospital. 57-year-old John Williams was struck while riding an e-bike; he was transported to the hospital by EMS with serious injuries, and passed away the next day.
Williams was the third cyclist or pedestrian fatality on Wilmington's streets so far in 2025, after two pedestrians were killed by cars in January, both on College Road. 71-year-old Stephen Ross was killed in a crash on the 600 block of South College Road on January 6th. Another pedestrian, unnamed by WPD, was killed in a January 30th crash, also on College Road.
Studies show that high speeds, light conditions, distracted driving, and road design can be major causes of pedestrian and cyclist deaths in car crashes.
There have been 75 fatal crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists in Wilmington since 2007, according to NCDOT and Wilmington Police. Most fatal crashes were on major, high-speed arterial roads like Market, College, or Carolina Beach Road.
Market alone had 13 fatalities in that time frame — 18% of all pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in the city. The vast majority of these deaths in the city happened on roads controlled by NCDOT.
There have been three prior fatalities on Wrightsville Avenue, according to NCDOT data. Of roads controlled by the city instead of NCDOT, Wrightsville and Military Cutoff Road have the most fatalities.
Related: The Newsroom: What's Killing Wilmington's Pedestrians?
