Our lives changed drastically due to an incident that was completely preventable. It was an ordinary day when my fiancé, who is now 25 years old, was driving to work, a mere seven-minute journey from our home. His route did not have a stop sign, but there was one for the driver to his right. Instead of stopping as required by law, they merely yielded and rolled right through. As a result, my fiancé was left with only a split second to react when they slowly rolled into his path. The collision resulted in a broken femur, a broken radial bone, ended his promising military career and caused PTSD. He had to relearn basic skills most of us take for granted, like walking and using his hand. 

This is not an isolated incident. We were horrified to discover that in the Missouri area alone, there were between 20 to 35 similar situations in just 2020. In 2022, Missouri was the 9th state for fatal car accidents in the country. Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety reported 1,048 fatal car crashes by the end of 2022, up from 1,016 in 2021. This was the highest number of fatalities since 2006. This is a terrifying number of accidents occurring and puts innocent people like my fiancé at risk, and it is time we put an end to this.

We are calling upon local authorities in Springfield and Rogersville, Missouri, to strictly enforce total adherence to stop signs. We want more noticeable signage, heavier penalties for violations, and increased traffic enforcement. No more families should have to go through the pain and life-changing consequences of a preventable accident. If you agree that safety on the roads should be paramount, sign this petition. The change starts with us.

STOP AT STOP SIGNS. DON’T JUST YIELD.