LEESBURG, Ga. (WALB) - A woman who crashed on a well-traveled highway in Lee County is asking for increased safety measures.

According to Georgia’s crash report provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), 261 crashes have occurred on Highway 82 in Lee County from 2020 to 2024. Two of those crashes were deadly.

“Something needs to happen. One accident is one too many. One death is one too many. We need help in Lee County on Hwy 82,” Christina Reed, a Lee County resident, said.

Reed lives in Lee County and travels Hwy 82 daily. She said between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to about 7 p.m., traffic on the state route is pretty heavy.

Reed shared pictures of her vehicle after she and another vehicle crashed near Salt Lick Sausage Company and Hog ‘n’ Bones on 82. Both cars were totaled, but thankfully, there were no serious injuries.

“It’s very busy, it’s very dangerous,” Reed added. “The more businesses that are coming up and being developed now — This traffic is going to get worse as more developers come to the city.”

There is a road behind Salt Lick that connects drivers to the nearest intersection with a traffic light. The road is less than a half mile away from the Tower Place intersection. Still, Christina said drivers try to pull into the median to make their left turn anyway.

Reed said she’s not sure what the perfect solution is, but that something needs to change.

“More stop lights up here on 82, but even if not that, more signs that directs us. Or maybe not being able to go out to the median. Maybe a right turn only, no crossing across the median. More signs to direct this traffic,” Reed said.

County Commissioner Billy Mathis said while citizens may believe it’s up to the county to place traffic lights and signage, he wants to clarify that’s not how it works.

“It’s a state route, and the state DOT decides where signs go, and they decide where red lights go. We’ve been trying for probably five years to get a red light at Hickory Grove and 82. We’ve sent letters. We’ve talked to our state representatives, our state senators. We’ve sent letters to the Georgia DOT. They just refuse to put a red light there,” Commissioner Mathis said.

Reed posted pictures of her wreck to Facebook, and several people shared and commented under her post. Some of them agreed that more signage could be useful on the highway, and that the median should be closed off.

“Every time we pass down 82, my kids and myself as well, we cringe not knowing what’s going to happen. But also just replaying what happened,” Reed said. “I’m hoping the Department of Transportation, someone hears this. That someone hears my cries — not only my cries, but the cries of the community.”

After reaching out to GDOT, the District Traffic Engineer said road and driver safety is the department’s top priority. They said although they haven’t received any prior complaints or concerns about the Tower Place and Highway 82 intersection, they are adding it to their list of traffic studies.

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