CINCINNATI — Westwood resident Kerry Rundle McIver is constantly worried and waiting for the next crash near her home on Harrison Avenue near Orland Avenue.
One recent crash propelled a vehicle all the way down her driveway into her yard, destroying a fence.
Over the last 2.5 years, we've seen dozens of accidents in front of our house on Harrison Ave. The curved road is really slick, and people are constantly losing control, often resulting in injuries and property damage. Last weekend 2hrs after another accident, this happened: pic.twitter.com/QPbgxetTbF
— Kerry Rundle McIver✌️🐼🤙 (@readytorundle) April 20, 2021
"We get probably two or three accidents a month, at least," she said. "We hear squealing tires, and we brace ourselves. Like, oh OK, what's next? Here we go again."
Over the last decade, McIver said her property has sustained $10,000 in damage from traffic crashes. But her biggest worry is over her 1-year-old child and other children in the neighborhood.
"We've got a bunch of kids who live in the apartment building next door who are always playing," she said. "We've got kids across the street, and then we've got pedestrians who walk through the neighborhood all the time. We've got bus stops and school bus stops and things like that."
City Council member Betsy Sundermann said, while the intersection is a problem that can't be fixed overnight, residents like McIver alerting the city to the problem should help speed up the process.
"Now that we have been put on notice that it's a dangerous intersection where people are getting in accidents, I think the city has to be a little faster to act," she said.
Sundermann's colleague, Council member Jan-Michele Kearney said the city's Department of Transportation and Engineering has been "super responsive" to residents' requests for traffic safety improvements.
"Because we have a lot of complaints about speeding, and I can tell you, crashes are up and more pedestrians are being hit, so that's a priority. Safety is a big priority in the city," she said.
After seeing the video McIver tweeted earlier this week, both Sundermann and Kearney reached out to her. She said that is enough to make her feel encouraged.
"I'm really hopeful that we'll see some progress."
