Sunday, March 17, 2024–6:16 a.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
Pictured: Johnny Burrell (right) shows pictures of the damage caused when a vehicle struck his home back in December during a recent Rome Public Works Committee meeting
The City of Rome will be looking into putting a guardrail on Branham Avenue in South Rome after a couple suffers a harrowing ordeal.
Johnny Burrell told members of the Rome Public Works and Traffic Committee on Thursday that early in the morning on December 9, he and his were awakened by a loud boom. A vehicle that was being chased missed the curve, struck their car, and then the house. The wreckage stopped just short of their bedroom.
“If it hadn’t been for the car, the guidelines, and the pole, it would have gone clean through the house,” Burrell said. “We would have died and would have never known what hit us.”
Laverne Burrell described the moments immediately following the impact.
“When it hit the house, it made a booming sound,” she told the committee. “When we woke up at 2:13 in the morning, there was a flash of light and I thought the house was on fire because I could see this big, orange flash of light when I looked up. There was smoke in the bedroom and all through the house. I got ready to come out, and my daughter who lives across the street told me to stop because there were live lines that were down.”
There used to be a guard rail in the curve in front of the Burrell’s home, but following a fatal crash in 2009, the city decided to no longer have guard rails on private property. Public works director Chris Jenkins said that the city would need about three feet of Burrell’s property for right-of-way to install a guardrail, to which Mr. Burrell replied, “You can have it.”
The Burrells also requested a four-way stop at Branham Avenue at Pennington as a way to slow down traffic. However, Jenkins said that based on the criteria that it used for four-way stops, such as traffic volume and limited sight distance, and the intersection would not qualify.
The committee did vote authorize a study to see if a guardrail is feasible, along with proper signage.
Street closures for downtown events approved
The traffic and public works committee has approved a list of street closings associated with events in Downtown Rome throughout the year.
RoFlo Fest is scheduled for May 4 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The road closures will be from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. and will include the 300, 400, and 500 blocks of Broad Street.
Mitchell Plaza at Third Avenue will be closed on June 5, July 7, August 2, and September 5 from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m. for the First Friday Concert Series.
On October 12, the 100, 200, 300, and 400 blocks of Broad Street will be closed for Fiddlin’ Fest. The hours for the closures will be from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
