TULSA, Okla. — Following the death of a Bixby teenager in an October car crash, the City of Tulsa added additional stop signs to the intersection where she died, making it an all-way stop intersection.
Starting Nov. 14, all drivers will stop at the three-way intersection of East 121st Street and South Yale Avenue.
Previously, only drivers turning onto 121st stopped.
"To come out of that [S. Yale Ave.] and make a left turn especially is dangerous," said Eddie Reese, Sr., who regularly drives through the intersection. "Or, coming down 121st to make a left onto Yale is extremely dangerous because of the traffic volume."
It was Oct. 16 when 15-year-old Kinsey Wright died at the intersection while on her way to soccer practice.
Tulsa police said the crash involved three cars, alleging that 18-year-old Jacob Tucker rolled past a stop sign. Tucker was arrested for negligent homicide, but charges have yet to be filed.
Family friend Mike Gentry told 2 News Tuesday the fact it took just four weeks to get stop signs installed is a blessing, but is of course bittersweet.
"You can't say it enough that we had to experience losing someone like Kinsey Wright to just a simple stop sign that could've been implemented a long time ago," Gentry said.
Soon after Wright's death, an online petition to change the intersection gained thousands of signatures, and a GoFundMe for the family raised almost $75,000 as of Nov. 14.
The city then announced changes to the intersection on Nov. 7, saying it came after the intersection met "Manual On Uniform Traffic Control Devices" (MUTCD) warrants for a traffic control device.
"I think it's a good idea," said Reese Sr. "I don't think it should've took a life in order for someone to say, 'Hey, we need to do something to this intersection.'"
Tulsa City Councilor Phil Lakin's district covers the intersection.
He said despite the public attention this fatal accident received, "there have not been as many traffic accidents as people think" at the intersection.
"The city looked at traffic accidents as well, and the signs aren't warranted based upon accidents. They are warranted based upon volume. And it has continued to pick up," he said. "We just have so many more cars traveling east and west because of all the additional growth down in Bixby and South Tulsa."
Until funds are identified for a new intersection with turn lanes and traffic signals, the city said an all-way stop will remain. Lakin said he believes signals would help traffic flow.
However, with traffic signs costing $150 to $200, according to the councilor, he said funding traffic lights and turn lanes is easier said than done.
"But, even if we had $650,000 that was available right now, we would still need 12 months to nine months to do all the different changes that are necessary down there and actually— well, procure and install the lights," he said. "It's not like we have a batch of lights sitting in a yard somewhere."
While there is no timeline or funding source for the signals and turn lanes yet, but the city said officials are working on a total cost estimate for the project.
The GoFundMe for Kinsey Wright is still active and welcoming donors to help the family.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- SUBSCRIBE on YouTube
