We are calling on Matt Dunn, the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), and local and state government officials to take immediate action to improve safety at the intersection of U.S. Highway 45 North and Mike Parra Road/Gatlin Road in Columbus, Mississippi (39705)—an intersection that has become a proven and deadly danger to our community.

This is not a hypothetical risk. This is a documented, ongoing safety failure.

Since 2009, there have been six confirmed fatalities at this intersection:

August 25, 2009
July 26, 2012
September 27, 2018
November 1, 2021
March 4, 2022
August 30, 2025 – Nick Jenkins

On August 30, 2025, my son, Nick Jenkins, lost his life at this intersection. His death was not an unavoidable tragedy—it was part of a clear and repeated pattern of serious accidents that continue to occur here.

In 2025 alone, this intersection saw five major accidents:

February 2025
April 2025
August 2025 (fatal)
September 2025 (multiple vehicles involved)
October 2025

And the danger did not stop there.

On January 14, 2026, yet another multi-vehicle accident occurred at this same intersection.

These wrecks happen nearly every month. Families are being shattered. Lives are being lost. And still, no meaningful safety measures have been implemented.

This intersection is heavily traveled by:

School buses
Children commuting to and from school
Local residents
Commercial and highway traffic

Every day, our children are forced to cross one of the most dangerous intersections in the area without adequate protection.

We are demanding immediate traffic safety improvements, including but not limited to:

Installation of a traffic light
Additional signage and warnings
Traffic studies followed by real, enforceable action
Any proven measures necessary to prevent further loss of life

Waiting for “one more study” or “one more tragedy” is unacceptable. Six lives lost should already have been enough.

This petition is about justice for Nick Jenkins, for the families who have already buried loved ones, and for the community members—especially our children—who deserve to travel safely.

We urge MDOT and government officials to treat this intersection with the seriousness it demands and to act now, before another family is forced to experience this kind of loss.

Call to Action
Please sign and share this petition to demand immediate safety measures at the intersection of U.S. Highway 45 and Mike Parra Road/Gatlin Road. Our community deserves safe roads. Our children deserve protection. And no more lives should be lost due to inaction.