lorena — A mother has started a petition calling for the Texas Department of Transportation to install a traffic light at the intersection of Old Lorena Road and Chapel Road due to a number of car accidents there.
Terri Rohrer said her heart dropped when she heard that her 16-year-old daughter was involved in a crash on Old Lorena Road and Chapel Road in June.
“I think it will be really helpful, because when there's lots of cars there and the sun there it’s really hard to tell when it is time to go,” Terri Rohrer’s daughter Anna Rohrer said.
Terri Rohrer said the accident prompted her to start the petition, and she started receiving support from the community, which includes county commissioner Ben Perry. She's even started collecting pictures of other car accidents that took place here. She said her goal is to save lives.
“It is terrifying. It’s the worst call you can ever get,” Rohrer said. “We've seen tons of accidents at this intersection but when it’s your child it hits home in a different way. The photos I have I’m going to give to them to TxDOT with hopes that will make them take action.”
Channel 6 reached out to TxDOT and a spokesman said putting a signal there may not be the right answer.
“I can’t believe there isn’t already a light there just from the stories I've received in the last 24 hours,” Rohrer said. Last year there were two deaths right here and I fully believe that a stoplight would have prevented those deaths.”
The Texas Department of Transportation say they have looked at the intersection and will continue to look at it, but they are not seeing enough crash data that would indicate putting a traffic signal on Old Lorena Road and Chapel Road at his time.
To view the petition, click here.