EDGEFIELD, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - It was an unusual type of dedication ceremony in Edgefield County as people gathered to celebrate the placement of a new stop light at Highway 25 and Bettis Academy Road.
“I’ve never seen this many people for a traffic light dedication, and it just showed us as representatives of this area, how important a stoplight is to this community,” said state Rep. Bill Hixon.
The dedication wasn’t entirely for a traffic light. The intersection has a long history of accidents, some fatal. The ceremony was a celebration for friends and family affected by tragedy on the road.
“I got a call that they were finally going to get the red light put up where my sister and my mother had the accident. So I decided that I could come out, and be a part, and witness the dedication,” said Takeia Young.
Young’s sister did not survive a crash on Bettis Academy Road in January 1996.
“In the area everyone is like family. So, like I said earlier, it’s going to bring that peace of mind that there’s relief,” said Young. “Everyone’s going to be safe.”
She says there were a lot of factors that came into play during the crash that day-- fog being one of them. But she also says a traffic light there, without a doubt, would have saved her sister’s life.
Organizer’s don’t know exactly how many deaths occurred at the cross section of Highway 25 and Bettis Academy Road, but they all agree the number of accidents there are in the hundreds.
Rodney Tillman was at the scene of two other fatal crashes there, one involving his cousin.
“It’s a tremendous success for the community,” he said.
Jacqueline Glover Kennion, an Edgefield County councilwoman, spearheaded the efforts to get the light in place. She said once the highway expanded to four lanes, it was time to put the pressure on the South Carolina Department of Transportation to add a stoplight.
“We contacted DOT, and they came out to look at it: made observations, put down data, and they said, ’yes, you are in need of the traffic light,’” said Kennion.
They hope a simple traffic light can put a stop to hundreds of accidents, and senseless deaths, in the future.
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August 31, 2020 at 12:03PM
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Edgefield County residents celebrate potentially life-saving traffic light - WRDW
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