Northeast Woman Takes Stand Against Dangerous Drivers In Her Neighborhood

A woman in Northeast El Paso is taking a stand against dangerous drivers in her neighborhood.

Edrina Jones contacted ABC-7 because she was concerned by the amount of speeding on her street. Jones lives on the 5600 block of Van Horn Drive, which is near two elementary schools and popular Veteran’s Park.

“It’s just a big, long street. No speed bumps or anything,” she said.

Jones is especially passionate about safe driving because one of her kittens was hit by a car in front of her home yesterday. “I had to go out and pick up her dead body,” she said. “There was no question she had been hit and died instantly. (The driver) didn’t even stop, they didn’t even slow down.”

It was a hard day for Jones, who lost her husband to lung cancer around this time last year. “When somebody in your family dies, sometimes you can get so depressed you don’t know how to come out of it, and having kittens was a reason to get up in the morning and a reason to laugh,” she said.

CeeCee the kitten had a brother, Marco Polo. Jones said Marco Polo wanders into the street sometimes, but she’s more concerned by the neighborhood children who also live and play next to the street.

“It was just a kitty (that died). It could have been a child. This is a residential area. You can expect children, pets, people with arthritis that hobble along,” said Jones. She added people disrespect the 30 miles per hour speed limit all the time.

Jones’ neighbors agree there’s a problem. “Literally, I mean guys go 60 miles an hour down this road while kids are out on the road,” said Robert Rogers, who lives near Jones. “People just…they think it’s a racetrack.”

Jones sent a message to El Paso police asking for help. They’ve dedicated extra traffic enforcement to that area before but assured Jones they would keep being vigilant. “The police have been very good about responding to me,” she said.

Concerned neighbors can also send a petition to the City’s Department of Transportation to have speed bumps or traffic circles installed, though it is a lengthy process. Go to the Hot Button on KVIA’s homepage to check out our link to the department’s website.