KATHLEEN, Ga. — Central Georgia is notorious for its pedestrian-vehicle accident rates, but neighbors in Kathleen are speaking up to prevent anything from happening to their community.
Old Perry Road has a speed limit of 35 miles per hour in the school zone beside Veterans High School. It's designated for two hours daily, between 7 - 8 a.m. and 2:30 - 3:30 p.m., when students commute to and from campus.
However, Kathleen residents think that more than the crosswalks with blinkers are needed to prevent an accident.
"I just hate to even watch down that way because I feel like it in my gut something's gonna happen," Rebekah Miller said.
The concerned grandmother spent the early morning of her birthday, Aug. 25, staking out the school zone at Veteran's High School to show how dangerous the road is.
"I mean, there's nobody out here to tell 'em there's a child crossing!" she cried.
During the stakeout, we witnessed teenagers risking their lives to cut across the three-lane road, with a shared turning lane, to get to school.
Every person looked both ways and would wait for cars to stop and allow them to cross safely or for a clear path before sprinting while carrying backpacks on their shoulders, like Miller's granddaughters.
"Sometimes it's crowded on the road, and there's a lot of cars, but sometimes there isn't. But, we just have to wait for a clearing, and then we just book it," they said. "Every time."
"I'm scared when my grandsons get out because the cars fly by; they don't stop for the school buses," said Iris Miller, a neighbor living next door to Veterans. "It's crazy!"
No crossing guards are patrolling the crosswalk, nor are speeding cameras installed.
At the singular crosswalk across from the Woodlands neighborhood, there is no button for a flashing light that warns drivers further to slow down.
The concerned neighbors say they have called for help over the years but have yet to see action.
Rebekah said she's contacted Veterans High School, Warner Robins Police, the Houston County Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Department of Transportation.
When 13WMAZ sought information from the mentioned entities, we learned the jurisdiction that oversees school zones, crosswalks, and traffic on local streets in Kathleen is Houston County's Public Works Department.
Chairman Dan Perdue sent this statement:
"The county's traffic engineers will analyze the pedestrian traffic crossing Old Perry Rd near Veterans High School, and if action is needed to rectify an unsafe situation, we'll take that action. Houston County improved the pedestrian crosswalks last year in response to citizen concerns, and heard from a concerned citizen through contact with the media today."