Concern over dangerous Ricardo intersection after two accidents in one week

RICARDO, Texas – Neighbors in Ricardo are increasingly concerned about the intersection of FM 1118 and Highway 77. Since the highway opened, two accidents have occurred in the same area in the same week.

Danny Pena, a longtime Ricardo resident and retired Highway Patrol sergeant, said he often has to cross the intersection of FM 1118 and Highway 77, but it is not as safe as it could be.

“I know what it’s like to reconstruct accidents and what it’s like when accidents happen, so I’m very cautious when crossing the street. The average person doesn’t have the experience I have from working with the Highway Patrol, but when you’re driving in a car or motorcycle with poor visibility, you can’t see anything,” Pena said.

But Pena is not the only one who is afraid of crossing the highway. Several neighbors took to social media to express their concerns and warn other drivers, saying the concrete barriers limit visibility of oncoming traffic and saying they have been involved in near-misses and even avoided the highway at all costs.

Pena said he witnessed the aftermath of a crash on Thursday and knows more. He showed KRIS 6 News the wreckage from that crash and another earlier in the week. There was broken glass, broken mirrors and pieces of a bumper.

He said the concrete barriers were originally placed higher up and were recently moved lower, but he believes they need to be moved lower still to give drivers a better view.

“We have to drive on this road every day. It is very dangerous. And further south there are more intersections where the same problem exists. This one is just the busier one at the moment,” said Pena.

He also noticed that there were no designated turning lanes and experienced a near-disaster himself.

“Yesterday I was crossing the street to the feed store and thought I was going to get hit from behind,” Pena said.

Many other residents have expressed to KRIS 6 and on social media that they are concerned about their children’s safety with school coming up. They said drivers on this stretch of Highway 77 need to obey the speed limit and also pay attention to when buses are turning.

Given that the school is just down the street and many parents have to cross the intersection to drop off their children, parents are hoping that changes sooner rather than later.

KRIS 6 reached out to the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), who said they met with Kleberg County officials Friday morning to discuss intersections in the area and safety measures, and wanted to remind drivers that the speed limit on that section of the highway is 55 miles per hour.

TXDOT officials were on site early this afternoon to discuss safety control measures with a contractor. They plan to install additional safety measures such as display panels and side-lit LED stop signs to warn drivers of the next intersection. They have also closed the Wagner Street intersection for the remainder of the project, adding that it is a conflict point between low-traffic crossings and fast-moving traffic.

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