Why Do So Many People in Owensboro, KY Run Red Lights?

Over the weekend, Sandy Hayden, who lives in Owensboro shared this on social media:

Today, I witnessed THREE people blatantly run red lights. Like in the way that someone could have died if there had been a collision. And then there were cars speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. What.The.Heck?

I live in Owensboro too and I know exactly what Sandy’s talking about. I’ve been on the “collision” side of it. A couple of years ago, I was sitting at the traffic light at the intersection of J.R. Miller Boulevard and Salem Drive here in town. I was driving south on J.R. and was heading down the Southtown. When my light turned green, I advanced through the intersection. Within moments, I looked to my right and saw an SUV barreling through their red light. I knew there was nothing I could do to get out of their way. I knew they were going to plow into the side of Miss Celie- my Chrysler 300. And the driver did. She completely t-boned my car. Luckily, everyone walked away uninjured. However, if she had been coming from the other direction, she would have hit me on the driver’s side and it’s entirely possible that I could have been seriously injured.

So, what is going on, Owensboro? Have we forgotten what a red light means? Apparently.

Tina Trotter-Bickwerment says, “I call it Everybody Drive Crazy Friday!” However, it’s evolving into a daily thing unfortunately.”

Harold Holcomb has witnessed the exact same thing. “I observed (about two weeks ago) two separate instances over two days of cars running red lights near me.”

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For Janice Rowe, she experienced the loss of a dear friend because of this very same dynamic. She shared, “I lost a friend decades ago because a truck decided to ‘floor it’ and run a red light at 4^th and Triplett Street.” Her friend was pronounced dead at the scene of that collision. It was a collision that could have, should have been avoided. Janice added, “I don’t understand why anyone would take a chance on killing someone.”

Sandy shared some words of advice for her family and friends on social media. She wrote- Whatever you do, wait a few seconds when your light turns green. It could be your unlucky day if you don’t.

Since my accident, I have made that my own standard practice. When I was kid, I was taught to look both ways before crossing a street. As an adult, I learned the hard way, that you have to do the same thing at when your red light turns green. It seems here in Owensboro, that green doesn’t automatically mean go. These days, it means check yourself before you potentially wreck yourself.