Atlanta

'People have died out here': Neighbors say dangerous road needs changes

The sight of flashing lights and the news of yet another life lost has become all too familiar.

ATLANTA — Neighbors say the road they live and work on is dangerous and they believe more people are going to get seriously hurt.

Residents along Browns Mill Road in southeast Atlanta told Channel 2’s Carl Willis they are calling for safety improvements.

The sight of flashing lights and the news of yet another life lost as the result of a crash at a blind turn along the road has become all too familiar for Michael Glass and his family.

"People have died out here three times," Glass told Willis.

Glass lives near the intersection of Browns Mill and Fairlane Street, where there's a memorial for Geoffrey Starks, 36, who was killed in a crash Saturday night.

Glass said a few years ago he held a man's hand as the man died after a crash. He told Willis that out-of-control drivers have hit his cars, his trees and telephone poles over the years.

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"I'm waiting for the next incident to come through the house. Just come on through the house. I'm waiting for it. Sooner or later it's going to happen," Glass said.

The concern is not just with those who live along Browns Mill.

Some who work along the street, like Joyce Smith at the Caring for Others charity, say they take a risk every time they set out on Browns Mill due to speeders.

"Hopefully, none of us get hit or killed trying to leave or come in to work. It's sad... because a lot of people walk to catch the bus," Smith said.

The Glass family told Willis they've reached out to city of Atlanta officials about installing speed bumps along the road, but were denied.

"It's a main highway and they were saying about the buses and things coming down with the emergency cars so they wouldn’t put the bumps out here," Melissa Glass said.

But they say it's clear that something needs to be done, or the most recent tragedy won't be the last.

"They should come and see our area and see what they need," Smith told Willis.

"A caution light or something needs to be done around here," Glass said.