Family mourns 86-year-old killed in San Jose traffic crash, city council adopts updated safety plan

San Jose had its deadliest year of traffic deaths in 2022 with 65 people killed. In 2023 and 2024, at least 48 people died in traffic crashes.

86-year-old caretaker killed in traffic crash

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Today San Jose’s City Council voted unanimously to adopt its 2025 Vision Zero Action Plan to improve traffic safety. The city had its deadliest year of traffic deaths in 2022, with 65 people killed.

Last month, an 86-year-old San Jose woman lost her life as she was crossing a residential street. Now her family is asking for change.

In 2023 and 2024, at least 48 people died in traffic crashes in San Jose, and Florence Taylor was the third traffic-related death this year. Her family is devastated, and they’re hoping her story will move the city to make more improvements.

"We shouldn’t be burying my grandmother. I don’t care how old she is," said Antionnette Taylor, Florence Taylor's granddaughter.

What we know:

Eighty-six-year-old Florence Taylor was the matriarch of her family, but on January 29th, she was hit by a car and killed as she crossed the intersection at Sherlock and Kimball Drives in San Jose. It was 6:30 in the morning, and she was on her way to work.

"She has this huge house, and she kept that up by herself. Coming here, caregiving for special needs for 12 years. She had no plans of necessarily slowing down," said Taylor.

San Jose Police say the driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with their investigation. Taylor says a neighbor put these ‘Slow Down’ signs up after the crash, but they believe the city must do more to slow down speeding cars, especially in residential areas.

"Speed bumps. You put some speed bumps on these roads. I guarantee you people will stop because they don’t want their cars messed up," said Angela Taylor-Payne, Taylor's daughter.

What's next:

On Tuesday, San Jose City Council unanimously voted to implement its 2025 Vision Zero plan with a goal of reducing traffic-related deaths and severe injuries by 30% in 2030, using quick-build infrastructure projects. People spoke about the loss of life in traffic-related crashes at the meeting.

"So, we lost like 60 people in 2022, 49 in ’23 and 49 in ’24. So, that’s an increase from when Vision Zero was adopted by the city," said one speaker during the meeting.

This year’s plan will adopt the Safe System Approach, which includes shifting oversight to the Transportation and Environment Committee, prioritizing improving high-risk roads based on crash data and providing more support for vulnerable road users, like Florence Taylor.

"You can’t talk to them anymore. You can’t hold them anymore or anything. Since my mother passed away, it’s been bad," said Taylor-Payne.

It was also pointed out in the meeting that a grant for speed cameras is caught up in a federal funding freeze, but the city says they’ll continue to use local and state funding for this plan.

Taylor’s family also set up a GoFundMe account, and they plan to lay their mother to rest on Thursday.

The Source: San Jose City Council Meeting, San Jose City staff, San Jose Police, Taylor family

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