SAN ANTONIO – Juan Rodriguez and Marcus Booker live across the street from each other in a neighborhood on San Antonio’s west side.
They face a common issue living next to Loop 410: vehicles crashing onto their property and sometimes into their homes.
“I hear them speeding all night,” Booker said.
Just one week prior, a car crashed into Rodriguez’s exterior bedroom wall.
“I honestly thought a f---ing bomb went off,” Rodriguez told KSAT at the time. “I just retired, 23 years Army with six deployments, and I thought I was in Iraq.”
Since then, Rodriguez’s family has placed a temporary fix on the bedroom wall and they have retained an attorney.
Neighbors in the area told KSAT there is an endless cycle of people speeding and crashing into properties. Those neighbors then have to rebuild.
“This is a life-or-death situation out here, and I think we need to do a lot more on this side,” District 4 Councilman Edward Mungia said. “Whatever I can do at the city level, my district, I’m happy to do that.”
Mungia said the Texas Department of Transportation needs to work on “better infrastructure” because the access road is constant for so long, the best option is an upgraded barricade.
“I think they (TxDOT) need to upgrade the barricades to something a lot stronger to prevent cars from actually going into properties,” Mungia said.
KSAT emailed TxDOT for an interview. A spokesperson responded, saying they cannot conduct an interview or comment without reviewing the crash details. The email also stated the following:
“Speeding is one of the leading causes of crashes in the state. Drivers are encouraged to follow the speed limit and drive cautiously. Additional questions will need to go to SAPD since it’s an enforcement issue.”
KSAT reached out to SAPD about the concern. SAPD said they did not have time for an interview; however, the department sent a statement that read, in part:
“…Before getting behind the wheel, make sure you are well-rested, focused, and free from distractions. Put away your phone, avoid eating or grooming while driving, and never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol. …”
Mungia said he is working with SAPD to increase law enforcement presence in the area, with hopes of lowering the number of speeding drivers.
However, the homeowners and other neighbors said they want solid solutions.
“Put more barriers along the whole access (road) and barriers that are actually gonna stop vehicles,” Rodriguez said when KSAT first spoke with him after the crash on Sunday.
Booker said he wants someone to cover the extra expenses he’s incurred over the years.
“If they hit me, I would like someone to pay for it,” Booker said. “That’s what I would like because I’ve had to redo this myself three times. I have to buy the materials and then I pay my brother-in-law about $2,000, so it’s $2,000 to fix this every single time.”
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