LEXINGTON (LEX 18) — The 8-year-old girl who was left with life-threatening injuries after being hit by a car along Tates Creek Road in Lexington Thursday is doing well as she recovers, according to Sarai Eldridge, a neighbor who spoke with the family on Friday.
Neighbors told LEX18 that the intersection of Tates Creek and Gainsway, where the crash occurred, is the site of frequent accidents due to multiple factors, including people speeding and due to the general poorly designed setup. They’d like the city to look at ways they can make the intersection safer for pedestrians and vehicles.
“It’s a dangerous combination, it’s set up to fail,” Eldridge said. “There’s no good way to get across here.”
She says the 30-second timer to get across is not enough. Other issues include the increased risk to pedestrians that comes when people make U-turns, she said.
Another issue is how fast people drive down Tates Creek, Dan Prouty said. His home is directly next to the intersection. He just missed the accident that hurt the 8-year-old but said accidents happen there far too often.
“It looks like the pace lap at Daytona,” Prouty said.
He has never seen anyone given a ticket for speeding there, he said.
Ideas people LEX18 spoke with to fix the intersection included banning U-turns, adding a speed camera, building a pedestrian bridge, increasing the time people have to cross, or creating an all-way red light.
Eldridge has her own 8-year-old daughter. When news broke about the crash calls started pouring into her.
“Tons of people thought it was my kiddo, and by the grace of God it wasn't us yesterday,” she said.
Eldridge wants the family of the injured 8-year-old to know “the community and your neighbors are ready to wrap their arms around you and support you.” She hopes they will allow them to do so as the girl begins a long recovery.
