Residents demand change for Kaufman County's "dead man's curve:" "The next child could be yours"
POETRY — Residents in Poetry in Kauffman County are demanding changes be made to a dangerous stretch of road, which some residents have nicknamed "dead man's curve."
Sherry Mullins and her husband Jack Mullins live right in front of the curve, at FM 986 and County Road 246. They are planning on fighting for safety changes after seeing yet another deadly crash that took a young man's life in front of the home Father's Day weekend.
"This is where their son took his last breath," Sherry Mullins said. "In the past, we know that someone on a motorcycle died and another young man in a car died here, just to name a few."
The latest crash Saturday morning claimed the life of 21-year-old Braxton James. Texas Department of Public Safety investigators say James drove off the curve, hit a tree, and rolled over. James died in a nearby hospital.
His parents said he was coming home from a roping competition the night of the crash and had only been home one week after serving in the U.S. Army overseas in Poland.
"It bothers me more than you can imagine because I am a mother," Sherry Mullins said. "These items in my yard are what they've got left of their son. It's sad and I'm mad. I'm mad that they're having to go through it."
"These are our neighbors, our friends, whether we know them personally or not. The next child could be yours," Jack Mullins adds.
The Mullins also say they are worried about drivers speeding on the curve. The city of Poetry confirms it did have TxDOT reduce the speed limit last year. However, the Mullins want to see more done, such as adding more reflective tape, signage, rumble strips, and flashing lights to help drivers navigate the turn.
"If I must go buy reflective tape, I will. We can't give up. We must be the squeaky wheels!" Sherry Mullins said.
The Mullins say they are still finding some of James' belongings in their yard days later, like his switch knife and keys still hanging in the tree he crashed into. Sherry Mullins says she promised James' mom, her son's death will not be in vain.
"We made a vow. We made a vow that we were going to try to get this changed so that no other family would have to go through this," Sherry Mullins says.
CBS News Texas also investigated the curve's crash history, and TxDOT says the crash over the weekend was the only deadly crash reported in the area in the past 5 years.