Blanton lives just feet away from the two-way stop.
“I can pretty much hear every time there’s a siren, every time there’s a loud noise and I frequently hear very loud bangs, and they’re usually car accidents,” she said.
Blanton is a nurse and was the first pair of boots on the ground the day of that car wreck April 8.
The initial investigation showed a Hyundai Elantra failed to yield from a red flashing light, and a Dodge Ram pickup truck collided into the passenger side of the Elantra. Air Care responded, but a sheriff’s office release said, “after extensive life-saving measures,” the passenger in the Elantra had died.
“It’s very scary,” she shared. “I drive the intersection where the accident occurred multiple times a day. I’m honestly terrified that one of these days it may be me or my family in an accident and it will be fatal.”
One neighbor even put boulders out to prevent vehicles from running into their home. Since then, one of the boulders has been moved.
Public Information Officer for the Ohio Dept. of Transportation Kathleen Fuller said they are working to ease the fear.
“We have initiated construction of a roundabout for the intersection,” Fuller shared.
The project isn’t set to start until 2028 and neighbors are looking for change now. Community members have been consistent about speaking out and the department has answers.
“We will go ahead and change it from a two-way stop to a four-way stop,” Fuller said.
Concerns are still in the air from the department and neighbors. Fuller said some may not be used to stopping and there may be a big transition period which can cause concerns.
As far as the community, they want to feel as safe as possible in their neighborhood and see change as soon as possible.
Journal-News staff contributed to this report.
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