On Tuesday, plans were announced for a campaign to discourage speeding in the Borton Street area where a child was recently hit by a car.

The accident itself was determined to be the result of a child on the road at night without any lights or other items to increase visibility, not speeding according to the LaGrange Police Department. However, members of the neighborhood felt that the incident highlighted the need for increased safety measures.

“We are going to start a campaign on Thursday to get a petition signed because we want the speeding to stop,” said Zsa Zsa Heard, the president of the LaGrange Housing Authority.

There are several speed humps in the neighborhood, but according to Heard, additional signage is needed to discourage speeding.

“We have them (speed humps), but we don’t have a sign that says ‘speed bumps, 5 miles per hour, like they have where we rode around in Azalea today,” Heard said. “We want that sign also because that is not in our area.”

The LaGrange Police Department is currently reviewing safety measures in that neighborhood.

“We are in the process of looking at some other things that relate to education,” Chief Lou Dekmar said. “Speeding complaints have been a problem there, and I want to work with Ms. Heard, and I believe Cpt. (Mike) Pheil is in communication so that we can come up with some alternatives.”

For organizers of the event, those alternatives could prove vital to protecting children and community near the road.

“We have to get something done because I can’t take another chance on another child getting hit or injured,” Heard said. “I think that we have to stop this.”

Stop the Speeding will take place on today at 5 p.m. beside the housing office at Lucy Morgan Homes located at 611 Borton Street.