Bainbridge community calls for traffic light after infant killed in car crash

BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (WALB) - Many are calling for better safety measures after a baby boy died in a crash in a Bainbridge intersection.

2-month-old Zahir Gonzalez was killed early Thursday morning when his mother’s car was struck in the intersection of Bethel Road and Highway 27.

“I’ve passed by here many times and I’ve seen other crosses be put here. But for me to actually have to come out here and put my own son’s cross here, something has to be done,” Briona Gonzalez, Zahir’s mother, said.

It was around 5:45 a.m. when Briona was crossing the street with her baby boy buckled up in his car seat. But when she tried to cross, her car was hit by a bus. Briona wasn’t badly hurt but her child didn’t make it.

“Bainbridge Public Safety and the city would like to see a traffic light at that intersection. We know it’s controlled by the State of Georgia Department of Transportation, but it’s a problem area,” Frank Green, director of Bainbridge Public Safety, said. “Something that would hopefully stop or prevent some of these accidents because any accident is an accident too many. And when you have a fatality, that’s just terrible.”

There have been five crashes in this intersection in the past 16 months. Two of those have involved someone being injured, and one of those was Thursday’s deadly accident.

Both Bainbridge residents and community leaders are asking for a traffic light at the intersection.

“To request a signal, citizens are asked to work through local government officials. Locations are evaluated based on a set of national criteria to ensure the appropriate traffic management alternative is identified,” Gina Snider, Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) district communication officer, said. “This intersection is currently under evaluation. GDOT will work with all partners to ensure the appropriate outcome is made available to the traveling public and motorists.”

A truck stop is being placed at this intersection also. Something some residents said raises high concerns if a light is not placed at this intersection.

“I’m not a reckless driver. I’m very cautious of not just my surroundings, but other people’s surroundings as well,” Briona said. “They need to put up a stoplight. They need to. Not just for my case, but for all the other cases that have happened as well. I lost a son, but somebody else lost a grandson, somebody lost a brother, somebody lost a cousin.”

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