‘Somebody’s going to be dead’: College Station business owner outraged by lack of road safety

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) says there have been more than 1,000 crashes along State Highway 30 over the past 10 years. To that concern, College Station business owners say they worry about all on that thoroughfare.

Michael Heinz said he sprang into action Tuesday morning after seeing a car crash right outside his workplace, Texas Landscape Creations, on Highway 30.

“I stayed there with her. I was on the ladder, reaching down in the car, holding her hand. We didn’t want to move her until the paramedics got there,” Heinz shared. “I just know one of these days we’re going to run up there, and somebody’s going to be dead.”

According to TxDOT, the intersection of Highway 30 and Bird Pond Road is a hot spot for collisions. In that specific area, the department has reported 13 crashes in the past decade. One of which was fatal.

Texas Landscape Creations’ owner, Jeff David, said he’s seen several of those crashes and has reached out to TxDOT many times with concern, but said nothing has changed.

“Countless, countless close calls. It’s not uncommon for us to be here and hear horns blaring out front, and we’re all praying that you don’t hear the collision afterwards,” said David.

David told KTBX the response he received from TxDOT following his safety concerns landed him and the safety of Bryan-College Station residents nowhere.

“‘Thanks for giving us information. We‘ll take it into consideration,’“ David relayed. ”That was a year-and-a-half ago.”

Local police told KBTX the leading cause of the crashes in this area is failing to control speed, which is different from speeding.

“Speed limit might be 30 miles an hour. You’re doing 30 miles an hour and the car in front of you goes to slow down, and you don’t slow down. You weren’t speeding, but the speed you were going was a factor condition in that crash,” explained Officer Seth Waller with the Bryan Police Department.

Ultimately, David and Heinz want to see a safer road.

“We’re trying to make sure that we can save somebody from dying, or multiple people from dying out there in front of our office,” David added.

TxDOT declined KBTX’s request for comment and interview.

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