DELMAR - A Delmar community still fights for change on a dangerous roadway, after a teen was tragically killed.
"Knowing your child died getting struck at 50 mph and bled to death before emergency services could get there, I mean how do you deal with that," said Becky West, the mother of Jared West.
It has been over four months since Becky West lost her 15-year-old son Jared in a tragic crash. He was hit head on by a car, just feet away from his home in Delmar, and died from the impact. Since then, the community has rallied together, submitting a petition to DelDOT to lower the speed limit from 50 to 35. DelDOT responded and conducted a traffic study.
"What they found is the existing speed at 50 mph is going to remain," said Mike Williams, from the Public Relations office at DelDOT.
The reason? DelDOT says it's a rural area, not a residential neighborhood. This is some unsettling news for a mother who has done her research.
"The U.S. Department of Transportation says, at 50 miles per hour, which our speed is, you're 100% possibility of killing a pedestrian that you make contact with," said West.
Before there was no posted speed limit, but now there's been some improvements. Highway officials have posted a speed sign on Providence Church road, which calculates how fast drivers are going and in many cases serves as a deterrent, but for Becky its not a permanent fix.
"They will slow as they approach that sign. We've sat and watched them go from 45 down to 47, and as soon as they're past it, it's off to the races," said West.
Becky says her fight isn't over. While it won't bring her son back, it could save another parent from living the nightmare she's had to endure.
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