Orange Councilman Larry Spears Tuesday said the mother and daughter who were killed last week while walking across MacArthur Drive showed the safety problems on the thoroughfare. Spears and Councilman Pat Pullen spoke about trying to find solutions to make MacArthur safer for pedestrians and vehicles.
Pullen, who is a retired Orange police officer, said he investigated or assisted in “far too many fatalities” on MacArthur.
On Monday November 2, 25-year-old Ava Nicole Lewis and her daughter, 6-year-old LaMya Newhouse, were killed by a hit-and-run driver as they tried to walk across the seven-lane MacArthur Drive.
Spears said the area where they tried to cross, at Hibbett Sports on the north side, is dark. The area “definitely needs more lights” and some people have suggested building a crosswalk.
MacArthur Drive is part of State Highway 87 and Business 90. The Texas Department of Transportation oversees the thoroughfare that is in the Orange city limits. However, land along the north side of MacArthur is in Pinehurst and land along the south side is in West Orange.
Pullen and Spears said City Manager Dr. Shawn Oubre is looking at possible ways to improve safety along MacArthur.
The TxDOT on Tuesday gave a written statement from Sarah Dupre, public information officer in Beaumont. She wrote, “We take every fatality on our roads very seriously. After every fatality, we have a team that reviews the police report and determines whether any changes in the roadway need to take place.”
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