Just days after relocating from the East Coast to San Francisco in 2021, Hannah Ege, their husband Sheria Musyoka, and their 3-year-old son, Theo, were ready to begin a new chapter. But tragedy struck when Musyoka — a corporate recruiter who had immigrated from Kenya and worked his way through Dartmouth College — was fatally hit by a truck traveling nearly 75 mph while jogging.
A month later, still reeling from the loss, Ege (who is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns) remembers thinking, “I need to do something.”
They didn’t realize it then, but Musyoka’s death reflected a growing national crisis: pedestrian fatalities are nearing their highest levels in almost forty years.
According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, pedestrian deaths have risen 48% over the past decade — even as other developed countries have seen declines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports.
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The reasons extend beyond distracted driving caused by phones and touchscreens. Experts say the increase also stems from the surge in large, heavy vehicles like SUVs and America’s fast, complex roadway designs.
In 2024 alone, 7,148 pedestrians were killed in automobile crashes, while tens of thousands more suffered serious injuries.
“We prioritize driving and driving fast much more than pedestrians,” says Wes Marshall, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado Denver. “The problem is solvable — but it’s not going to be easy.”
In the aftermath of Musyoka’s death, Ege connected with Families for Safe Streets — an organization formed by survivors who’ve lost loved ones to traffic violence. Members of the group visited Ege’s home soon after the tragedy, offering emotional support and guidance through those early days of grief.
“They were so hands-on,” Ege recalls. “I didn’t know advocacy groups did that.”
Founded by Brooklyn mother Amy Cohen, who lost her 12-year-old son Sammy in 2013 to a speeding driver, Families for Safe Streets now includes thousands of members and has achieved numerous local and state-level legislative victories. The group channels grief into action, empowering families to fight for safer roads and prevent future tragedies.
Ege soon joined the movement, meeting with officials in San Francisco and Philadelphia, where they now live. Their efforts center on promoting technology-based solutions — such as speed cameras and vehicle-installed devices that limit the speed of habitual offenders.
Recently, Ege’s advocacy contributed to the installation of 15 new speed cameras along a major Philadelphia roadway where 64 people have died in traffic crashes over the past five years.
“Sheria would want me to tell his story,” Ege says of their late husband. “It’s the least I can do to make sure no other family has to endure what we have.”
