Neighbors Concerned About Reckless Drivers On Owasso Residential Road

Neighbors who live off 96th Street North in Owasso said they’re worried about reckless drivers on a narrow, residential stretch – the same area a teen was killed two years ago.

The speed limit on the road is 30 miles per hour, but neighbors said they see drivers doubling that speed.

Every day, John Carlyon's elderly father makes the slow walk across 96th Street North to get his mail.

"Just watching my dad getting the mail is a concern," said Carlyon. "It’s just sad to see my neighbors have to contend with this traffic getting their mail across the street."

Carlyon, who grew up in the house just east of 177th East Avenue, said over the past several years as Owasso has grown, traffic has continued to increase. And with it comes speeders.

"It should take about 38 seconds to get to our property and they're doing it in 15 to 20 seconds," said Carlyon.

Carlyon said hills, blind spots and a narrow street also make the area dangerous. It’s a danger they sadly saw first-hand two years ago.

On February 6, 2019 a 16-year-old Owasso high school student died when she lost control of her car while speeding and hit a tree.

"Unfortunately, my mother was the first one to the scene to comfort the survivors," said Carlyon. "A lot of lives changed that day."

After the accident, Carlyon said traffic slowed down for a while, but now he said it's back to how it was, and he worries more people could get hurt without more awareness.

The Rogers County Sheriff's Office, who has jurisdiction on the street, said they're also aware of the problem and are planning to help.

With grant money from the department of public safety, deputies will set up a speed trailer, and when possible step up patrols. The Sheriff's Office said they'll use that grant money for other high traffic parts of the county as well.