While Dallas police look for the driver of the hit and run that killed 73-year-old Linda Pearson near the intersection of Ferguson Road and Highwood Drive, neighbors are calling for change as they say speeding and street racing have been a problem in the area for years.
According to NBC DFW, Martha Barrios, who lived blocks away from the crash site, said that the incident was just a matter of time because of the way people drive on Ferguson. She said she had witnessed several crashes in the area in her ten years of living there.
Barrios complained of the sound of street racing at night and in the mornings, disturbing her sleep. She said she complained to council officials in the past but has seen no improvement.
Per NBC DFW, Council Member Paula Blackmon acknowledged the pleas for help from neighbors. She reassures residents that city hall is aware of the situation and is working toward a solution.
Blackmon said the city hall is working on a three-pronged approach to the problem — engineering, enforcement, and education.
“It’s a process because you have to gain data,” she said. “You have to look at things, and it’s also traffic signals. It’s also streetlights. So, we’re looking at all of this. We are working on it, and we have been working on it, and we’ll continue to work on it.”
Blackmon said a corridor study is being funded to determine how to slow traffic along the six-lane straightaway. She also noted Dallas police have enforcement plans.
Blackmon is inviting the community to a Thursday Zoom meeting where they can learn about the enforcement efforts. The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. For residents who want to join in, login information is on Blackmon’s Facebook page.
