A District Heights, Maryland, resident is pleading for safety changes after a driver hit a tree in his yard early Tuesday and died. The resident said the crash marks the sixth time a vehicle has charged into his yard.
Homeowner Sam Wilson asked for speed bumps or signs along Elmhurst Street to prevent other crashes.
“About 10 months ago, they ran through my yard twice in one week — twice in one week,” he said, pointing out where the crashes occurred. “It’s been two down there. One over there. There's three here.”
Anthony Beverly Sr. was killed in the crash Tuesday, the Prince George's County Police Department said. He was 61.
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“The guy was into the tree. They were putting a sheet over the car, and I know he was gone then,” Wilson said.
Beverly’s vehicle went down Aztec Drive, crashed into a fence and wrapped around a tree in Wilson’s yard. His engine split in two. Beverly was pronounced dead on the scene
For years, Wilson said he has begged the city of District Heights to warn drivers about the corner.
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“I asked them to put a guardrail over here, like this. They said it's not in the budget. I asked them. I say, ‘Is a guardrail worth people's life?’” Wilson said.
Cynthia Miller, the mayor of District Heights, did not agree to an on-camera interview but released a statement offering her condolences to the Beverly family. She said once the cause of the crash is known, the city will take appropriate measures to ensure traffic safety.
A day after the deadly crash, Beverly's daughters visited the area. The Wilson family comforted the grieving women, and they prayed together.
The Wilsons said they're hoping that after this latest crash, the city will do something.
