- A Valdosta teen remains in a coma after an accident involving a dirt bike and another vehicle on My 14th.
- The intersection of Pineview Drive and Deborah drive is one of Valdosta's more dangerous intersections, with 10 accidents in the last two years.
- Watch the video to hear from neighbors about their concerns for the safety of Valdosta's roadways.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
A 17-year-old from Valdosta is in a coma, and neighbors are calling for change.
"You all haven't seen nothing yet. Wait until 2024-2025 when school opens back up."
I'm Malia Thomas, your neighborhood reporter in Valdosta.
I"m taking a closer look at one intersection where a recent crash has those nearby sounding the alarm.
I was canvassing the intersection of Pineview and Deborah Drive when I was flagged down by Hazel Edgecomb, who lives down the road from Pineview.
"Allow the other people a chance to come on the road!"
She tells me this area of the Eastside is nearby four different schools, and the traffic and children walking with no sidewalks is not a good mix, leading to the dirt bike accident involving a 17 year old back in May.
"That come from not being concerned and not paying attention and you're not watching what you need to do as far as traffic... we got a single lane and everybody can't go where they need to go."
Over the past two years, crash data from GDOT reveals 17 incidents along this road, with 10 concentrated at the intersection of Deborah Drive and Pineview Drive.
The Valdosta-Lowndes Metro Planning Organization also noted in their FY2022 crash report that nearby Barack Obama Blvd and East Park Avenue are hotspots for car crashes.
They said in a statement that while the number of crashes in the metro is down: "the number of serious injuries increased from 205 to 240 (a 17.1% increase) and the number of fatalities as a result of crashes increased by 14 people, to 99 fatalities during the 2017-2021 reporting period."
With the recent passing of TIA2 in our latest local election, several road projects have been given the green light to make our roads safer and easier to navigate.
Hazel also has this word of advice for her neighbors:
"Stay off the phone, and I think things can work out. Just take things in consideration of others."
From 2017 to 2021, at least 240 people in the Lowndes County area have been seriously injured in these types of wrecks. In Valdosta, I'm Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.
