ALLENTOWN, Pa. – An elderly man died after being hit by a vehicle in Allentown Tuesday evening.

Ai D. Dinh, 81, of Allentown, was pronounced dead Tuesday shortly after 8 p.m. at a local hospital, Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio said in a news release.

Buglio said the accident happened around 4:20 p.m. at West Hamilton and South 22nd streets.

The cause of death is multiple blunt force injuries, and the manner of death was ruled an accident, Buglio said.

Allentown police say the driver of the vehicle remained on the scene.

With the death of this 81-year-old man, Lehigh County has already surpassed last year’s total of pedestrian deaths. 

“It sickens me,” said Mayor Matt Tuerk. “We’ve seen pedestrian fatalities increase across the Lehigh County.”

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk says data shows that there have been eight fatal pedestrian crashes total in all of Lehigh County so far this year, already surpassing last year’s total. 

“Thankfully, in Allentown we’ve been able to reduce pedestrian fatalities through this point of the year. It’s terrible,” Tuerk said. 

Allentown Traffic Control Specialist Bill DeLong told us in April that speed is the biggest problem. Not all crashes are fatal.

In May, a man was charged with Aggravated Assault by Vehicle after hitting a child and her grandmother in a crosswalk in Center City Allentown.

Man charged with hitting, seriously injuring child and her grandmother in crosswalk in Allentown

Like this one, Tuesday’s crash was on West Hamilton Street.

“Drivers are behaving worse and worse, so I continue to be concerned for the safety of our residents,” said Tuerk. 

The city has been installing speed cushions around parks and schools. There are cushions on Parkway Boulevard on the North Side of Cedar Beach Park.

But on the south side of the park, on Hamilton Street, in the area of Tuesday night’s pedestrian crash, there are no cushions and traffic moves freely.

“Right now, we are concerned with safety more than congestion. Making sure people are getting across the streets safely,” DeLong said. 

Mayor Tuerk’s goal is to make Allentown the slowest city in America. Allentown is using grant money secured over the last four years to install speed cushions at different locations across the city. 

“Nobody should die simply crossing the street,” he said. 

Buglio said the coroner’s office, the Allentown Police Department, and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the incident.