Our Dallas Fort Worth Roads Are Far Too Dangerous

I was driving from Arlington to Fort Worth Saturday on I-20 when the traffic suddenly slowed.  A motorcycle had been hit in this collision. Several people had rushed over to get the man’s bike off the highway.

Fortunately he was OK but it reminded me how fragile life is.

The next morning, I read about a tragic collision just a mile down the highway a few hours later that afternoon. The article in the Star TelegramTWO PLUNGE TO THEIR DEATHS IN FORT WORTH MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT, said that a 29 year old man and woman were thrown off their bike from the southbound ramp going from I-20 to I-35. It is not clear if another vehicle was involved or what caused the horrendous accident.

You’ve got to wonder why we have so many auto, truck, and motorcycle accidents in Dallas-Fort Worth and how they can be prevented. Here are some others that were reported just this weekend:

Friday:

12:15 p.m.   FORT WORTH GIRL RIDING SCOOTER DIES AFTER BEING STRUCK BY CAR THAT FLED. What an unbelievable tragedy. An 8-year-girl was hit in front of her house near Interstate 30 and Loop 820 on a pretty spring break afternoon. Surveillance video from a neighbor showed a Dodge Charger racing down the street. The vehicle has been located and Fort Worth police have announced they have apprehended what they call a person of interest.

8:45 p.m.   1 DEAD, 1 INJURED IN FIERY CRASH ON 1 35 IN DENTON COUNTY.  Other than the location at the Lake Lewisville bridge, no other details have been released.

Saturday:

12:00 a.m.  TRUCKER INJURED AFTER 18-WHEELER BARRELS INTO DISABLED VOLVO ON PARKWAY IN PLANO. A man driving a Volvo had a flat tire and he and a Good Samaritan were nearly run over by an 18-wheeler on Sam Rayburn Parkway.

2:00 a.m.   OFFICIALS ID WOMAN KILLED BY HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER IN UPTOWN DALLAS. Another hit-and-run, here a 23-year-old was tragically struck on Cedar Springs Road near her residence.

3:00 a.m.   SUSPECTED DRUNK DRIVER CRASHES INTO PARKED PATROL SUV, INJURES HURST OFFICER. A police officer was on the scene blocking lanes from a previous crash (possibly caused by a DWI) when he was hit by a 34-year-old woman from Keller. Alcohol use is being investigated.

5:30 a.m.   ARLINGTON WOMAN DIES AFTER LOSING CONTROL, CRASHES INTO BUILDING. For unknown reasons, the 55-year-old woman sadly hit the Krogers store on South Bowen Road.

Sunday:

1:40 a.m.   BOTH DRIVERS IN HEAD-ON COLLISION IN EAST OAK CLIFF FACE DRUNKEN-DRIVING CHARGES. Oh, the drivers of two SUV’s trying to beat the light are drunk in the early morning hours?

5:50 p.m.   MOTORCYCLIST KILLED IN DENTON AFTER DRIVER PULLS OUT IN FRONT OF HIM. A 55-year-old man riding his Harley Davidson on Fort Worth Street was thrown off of his bike when a 21-year-old woman suddenly made a left turn out of a private driveway.

I had been in Arlington Saturday morning on a group bicycle ride and these motorcycle crashes especially resonated with me.

As I’m always saying here, we have to do a better job of keeping our highways and roads safer. There should not be 80,000 wrecks each year in Dallas and Tarrant Counties that injure and kill our families, friends, coworkers, and neighbors.

We must crack down on drivers who are reckless, intoxicated, speeding, distracted, and just plain careless. Our lives depend on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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