Haley Swaino
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Lori Smith was mowing her lawn Thursday when she saw a pickup truck coming around the corner of County Road 391.
“There was nothing indicating that this individual that was driving was doing anything wrong at all,” Smith said.
She has lived across the street from the Katy Trail crossing on County Road 391 for six years and said though she often sees vehicles speed around that area, that truck was not.
A 21-year-old woman from Holts Summit was driving the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado and a 23-year-old man from Jefferson City was riding in the truck.
Smith said no sooner had she turned to continue mowing, she heard the impact. A 9-year-old boy was hit.
Smith said she and her husband, both who work in Jefferson City Corrections, raced down the driveway.
“I was trying to take a pulse and was really not getting anything,” Smith said. “My husband immediately went into first aid, CPR techniques.”
She said Monday that Thursday’s accident was not the fault of those involved, but a product of many problems in that location.
“There’s no good signage here neither on the roadway to indicate that the trail is right here nor on the trail.”
County Road 391 has few posted speed signs and ABC 17 News saw no indicators driving down it giving a warning of the Katy Trail ahead. Smith said the path was barely visible to approaching drivers that day due to nearly seven foot high weeds.
On the trail, there is little signage warning of the road ahead and the stop sign bikers and trailgoers must yield to was blocked Thursday, according to Smith.
“The small stop sign that’s here had tree debris. There was a big limb that had fell down and then the debris was hanging over it,” Smith said. “And I’m not one to measure, but I would say it’s probably about eight inches in diameter, give or take. Obviously not something that’s going to flag to somebody, “Hey stop, we’ve got a roadway here or an intersection here.”
Smith said she hopes changes can be made to make the area safer for bikers and trailgoers.
Jefferson City resident Julie Carel agrees. She rides the Katy Trail frequently and is having a hard time processing the death of the boy.
“We (she and her husband) feel so badly for the family,” Carel said.
That’s why she decided to take action Monday morning.
Carel said she mailed a letter to Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Kurt Schaefer and sent copies to Gov. Mike Kehoe and Missouri State Parks Director Laura Hendrickson.
“I asked them to specifically install crossing gates at each intersection,” Carel said.
She asked for gates at the intersection of County Road 391 where the boy was hit and at Dogwood Drive, which is the following intersection going west.
“Stagger those gates so that people would be forced to get off their bikes and walk across each intersection,” Carel said. “It would also be helpful to have a larger stop sign for riders. We have never seen anybody come to a complete stop at the intersections. Most everyone, including us, slows down looks for traffic and then goes on through.”
Vegetation is another issue Carel said needs addressed, but one she’s not sure who is in charge of fixing.
“Vegetation needs to be cut, but I think that’s probably the county,“ Carel said.
Smith said vegetation along County Road 391 is one thing that has looked different since the crash. ABC 17 News saw a tractor going up and down the road trimming back overhanging trees and excess vegetation.
“I am assuming it’s the county because the type of equipment,” Smith said. “They were sitting by our mailbox and it’s got the big arm.”
Smith said she has never seen these tractors clearing near her home until after the boy died.
“It is dangerous right now and will continue to be until they put up those gates,” Carel said. “I think it’s important that they [the state] take this seriously and do it quickly to prevent another accident. This is a priority.”
Smith agrees and wonders if this tragedy would have happened had there been more signs and less weeds.
“I don’t know that you will ever 100% prevent things like this, but this could have truly been a lot less likely to have occurred,” Smith said.
Katy Trail State Park is primarily managed and maintained by Missouri State Parks’ staff, according to MSP Deputy Regional Director Daniel Brigman.
“Vegetation management depends on the location,” Brigman said in an email. “Along the right-of-way, vegetation management is based on who manages the Katy Trail right-of-way, which can include MODOT, the respective county, the respective city, etc.”
ABC 17 News has reached out to see who manages the vegetation at the Katy Trail on County Road 391.
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