Knight's Landing demands long-awaited safety fixes to County Road 102 after deadly crash
There are growing calls for safety on a deadly stretch of County Road 102 in Yolo County.
This is after a husband and wife from the Knight's Landing community were killed in a crash, and the driver is charged with murder.
Now, this Yolo County community is coming together for solutions.
Safety issues on the road have been a concern here for decades, with many saying Wednesday that they don't feel heard. But they're hopeful with conversations happening now, that's changing.
Knight's Landing is an unincorporated community of fewer than a thousand people.
"We've been having meetings like this for years, and nothing ever happens," said Tony Aston, who has lived in Knight's Landing for 43 years.
With chairs set in a circle, about two dozen community members met for a discussion about how to make County Road 102 and others that run right through this community safer.
With a California Highway Patrol officer in on the talks, the group laid out their concerns and potential solutions to slow down drivers and speed up safety.
"We've had recent incidents that have happened, that have hit close to home," said community member Catalina Ruiz.
Mario Navarro Dominguez, who, according to authorities, was speeding and under the influence, ran a stop sign and hit the Vargas family in October.
Estela Vargas died at the scene and her husband died a few days later on Nov. 5. Their son, who was also in the car, survived.
"We're all still mourning, we're all still hurting," Ruiz said. "We talk about the change, we've had so many meetings, we've had discussions, and there's been no resolution."
Street lights, speed bumps and even more regular DUI checks are all suggestions made during the Wednesday meeting.
They agree that there's no one reason there haven't been changes even with years of concerns, but with new county leadership, many say they have hope.
"I think that from this tragedy we'll come out a little bit louder, with a little bit more assertiveness, maybe, that we are hopeful we can find a solution this time," Ruiz said.
Nothing was decided Wednesday night, only that the group of community members will be turning to social media and email campaigns to get the attention of county supervisors.
One person summed it up as Knight's Landing won't take no for an answer, especially after losing two of their own.