INDIANAPOLIS—A southeast side Indianapolis woman is hoping the city will make safety upgrades to a busy intersection.
Grandmother Mary Arnold wants to see improvements to the four-way stop at Shelbyville Road and Five Points Road.
It's where 18-year-old Isaac Oldham was killed in a crash this past September, when police say a drunk driver ran a stop sign.
"I am so sad every time I drive by that crucifix, and his family was so loving. I couldn't imagine losing one of my children or grandchildren. It would be heartbreaking for me," said Arnold. She has lived in the area more than 40-years and can remember at least two other deadly crashes.
"People just don't stop," she said. "The first one was a lady ran a stop sign. And my Bible study leader's wife was killed at that intersection and she had two small children at the time." The intersection, she says, isn't well marked.
To make matters worse, the area is growing. New houses are under construction nearby, meaning more traffic will follow.
Indianapolis City-County Councilman Brian Mowery says he is pushing the city to make safety improvements, including adding solar lights or reflective tape to the stop signs so they will be easier to see at night.
The Department of Public Works is looking at the intersection and plans to add stop signs on the left, across from the existing signs on the right—creating a four double-stop intersection. DPW also plans to add "stop-ahead" signs.
But don't count on seeing L-E-D stop signs. DPW says there isn't enough crash data to indicate the intersection has a visibility problem, which is typically what those types of signs are used for.
