KATHLEEN, Ga. — Getting your kids to school shouldn't be a problem, but neighbors in Kathleen are concerned teenagers have to run across a busy street to get to class safely.
They say it's driving them crazy!
At the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, Rebekah Eshleman reached out to 13WMAZ, frustrated about her granddaughters crossing the busy intersection in front of Veterans High School.
Since then, there have been at least two accidents.
"It's kinda become a nightmare," John Snipes said.
On Thursday, Jan. 18, Larrica Clark's 17-year-old son was in a wreck that totaled his brand-new car.
She said he was gifted by his parents after Thanksgiving last year, and his birthday was two days before the accident in front of the school.
"He was hit by a GMC truck, and he was driving a Honda Civic," Clark recalled. "His car didn't handle it well, but the car served its purpose. It protected my baby."
Less than a week later, on Monday, Snipes got into a wreck at the same spot as Clark's son.
He said he's lived in his Kathleen home for decades.
Just days before the accident, he said, he'd paid for his brand-new truck.
Thankfully, he recalls, he was unharmed.
But, he said, his truck will take about five months to repair.
Rebekah Eshleman is still upset her granddaughters are dodging traffic to get to school.
"When it's cold like this in the mornings, their mother takes 'em to school," Eshleman said, who is newly married.
Usually, Eshleman said, they walk-- or sprint-- across Old Perry Road to get to school in one piece and on time.
Their mom stays on the phone with them until they're across the road, Eshleman said.
"She does that every afternoon and every morning," she said. "Every day. School days."
"Kids have to walk to school; not everybody is fortunate enough to even be able to drive," Clark said.
"The car protected my son, but a walker, they don't have anything to protect them," she continued. "They're carrying their bookbags, they probably have their music going, they're just being kids walking across the street to get to school. If they get hit, there's nothing there to protect them."
Not only were there two accidents within days of each other but as soon as 13WMAZ arrived, two cars drove past a stopped school bus picking up Eshleman's younger grandchildren.
"People coming this way ignored the bus stop sign, two of em ran it," Eshleman said. "My daughter's blowing the horn for them to stop, and they just keep going by."
"There's no patrolling, no control out here to stop this!" the concerned grandmother exclaimed.
"There's been many accidents," Snipes said. "It's a telltale sign that there needs to be something done before someone gets seriously hurt."
"We shouldn't have to wait for one of our children to be seriously injured, or one of our neighbors seriously injured," Clark said. "We shouldn't have to wait for that for them to make changes."
The neighbors want something done, whether installing flashing lights, hiring a crossing guard, or anything else that will slow the school zone down.
Last time, we learned Houston County Public Works is responsible for overseeing school zones, crosswalks and traffic on local streets in Kathleen.
They sent engineers out the day after our first story but refused to comment when 13WMAZ checked back with them about whether they were planning action.
Houston County Sheriff's Office also has not responded to 13WMAZ's request for traffic reports issued at the intersection, which were also requested Tuesday.
What's driving you crazy? Tell us. Email fabrar1@13wmaz.com or send @farehaabrar a message through social media.