LIBERTY, Mo. — After an Oct. 22 Sugar Creek police chase ended with a suspect's car inside a Liberty home, I reported on the neighborhood's concerns over everyday traffic on Leonard Street.
“I have just felt like something like this has been inevitable for a long time,” neighbor Kendra Kuntz said last week. “I am so sad that it happened to this family but also so thankful nobody has died because it could have been so much worse than it really was.”
The victim, Erin Harms, suffered a broken sternum and ribs, among other injuries.
In the week since the incident, the Liberty Police Department has installed a radar speed sign.
I asked neighbors how they felt about the temporary solution.
“If you don’t intentionally slow down, you’re going way too fast very quickly,” said neighbor Kyle Johnson. “Kind of our first thought that maybe this is something that can help.”
After examining the sign’s placement further, some neighbors concluded the monitor could be placed in a better location — it currently sits below a railroad crossing sign.
“We were really excited about it, but then we were confused why they put it [there],” Kuntz said.
I contacted Liberty PD, and a captain with the department said an officer installed the speedometer because of complaints from neighbors.
The device detects the speeds of every car that passes by. Police said they plan to analyze the data to see if there’s a larger issue.
Still, neighbors remain vigilant in advocating for reduced speeds.
“If you don’t have something that enforces them to actually use their foot on the brake to slow down, it becomes a dangerous situation very quickly,” Johnson said.
Neighbors plan to take their continued concerns over the location of the sign to the next city council meeting on Monday, Nov. 13.
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