(WXYZ) — A problematic intersection in Dearborn Heights has cars speeding and blowing through stop signs, all just blocks away from a school. Residents on Appleton Street between Joy Road and Ann Arbor Trail are fed up with the disregard for safety on the roads.
7 News Detroit reporter Ruta Ulcinaite went to one of the intersections, a four-way stop on Appleton & Constance. Multiple cars were either rolling the stop sign or not stopping at all.
“People go like 40 down here, blowing the stop sign like it’s not even here," resident Leetheal Williams said.
Mike A. lives in the area and even caught on surveillance video a car speeding past the stop sign and slamming into his parked car on the street.
“It’s probably totaled," he said. "It’s an ongoing thing all day every day, you see cars speeding down here any time of the day.”
Global Heights Academy is just steps from the intersection, and residents worry about how in a few short weeks children will be walking along these dangerous streets.
“When it comes to kids though, you gotta slow it down," resident Mike Willams said.
We reached out to the Dearborn Heights Police Department, who told us that the department has increased patrols in the area and that the enforcement will continue until the problem is resolved.
As of Wednesday, the department has cited 15 drivers for stop sign violations in the area and 3 drivers for driving with a suspended or revoked license. They also made a traffic stop which resulted in a driver being arrested for carrying a concealed firearm in their vehicle. One vehicle was impounded during the efforts to calm traffic in the Appleton Street area. They tell us they will continue their enforcement in the area.
On Wednesday, multiple vehicles were pulled over, as caught by our cameras.
“That cop pulled over like ten people within the last hour so they’re doing their job pretty good," Mike A. said.
The community appreciates the added patrols but knows that police can't be in the area at all hours.
“I don’t like speed bumps but that would help too," resident James Lehman said.
