In December, a McLaren was seen speeding through a school zone on Abrams Road. The incident occurred just minutes before Forest Meadow Middle School was expected to release its students.
The data from the crash indicates that it collided with another vehicle before hitting a tree. Both the driver and the passenger were killed as a result of the impact, which was so severe that it caused the car to split in half.
After a period of six months, residents of Lake Highlands continue to battle for the enhancement of the safety of their neighborhood roads.
Katie Dayberry stated that the general public has the misconception that it is a speed zone. This is very nerve-wracking. There have been multiple reports of it from us. We’ve submitted a petition to have more police officers, but it doesn’t appear to be having any effect.
One of the people who believes that even more incidents are not recorded is Dayberry.
Cars have crashed into her backyard, where her children frequently play, on two separate occasions now.
Among the more than 1,500 individuals who signed a petition that Megan DuBose organized, she is one of the individuals who advocated for change.
“We would like for this region to receive more attention. “We want to conduct a traffic study so that we can get a better understanding of the severity of the situation,” said DuBose.
Kathy Stewart, a member of the Dallas Council, held a meeting with the residents of the neighborhood in March in response to the petition.
In addition to confirming that a traffic study is currently being conducted, she stated, “Once the study is finished, we will have more information about potential changes.”
On the northwest and southwest corners of the intersection, the Richardson Independent School District is in the process of upgrading the sidewalks and signals this summer.
It has been decided that the city and the district will share the cost of crossing guards for the upcoming school year.
Still, according to DuBose, the residents of the neighborhood want to see a greater police presence as well as measures to calm traffic.
“The one very immediate request that people said they wanted was a solar panel sign that says, hey, you’re going 55 miles per hour, please slow down,” she said. “It was a sign that people wanted right away.”
In addition to this, they have requested that red light cameras be installed at major intersections, that “Welcome to Lake Highlands” signs be installed, and that the fines for drivers who speed and run red lights be increased.
“There have been recommendations of bike paths being put on Abrams and Whitehurst, similar to how they do in Richardson, just to get us down to one lane of traffic and naturally slow people down,” said DuBose. “This would be done in order to reduce the amount of traffic going through the intersection.”
DuBose has stated that they will continue to advocate for action, despite the fact that the beginning of the school year is only a few months away.
As she explained, “We are doing this because we want our children to have a sense of safety.”
