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Horse hit by car, killed in Mesa

Residents in the Lehi neighborhood say they're concerned already existing safety issues could get worse after a horse was hit and killed Wednesday.

People living in the Lehi neighborhood in Mesa are growing more concerned about traffic in their community after a horse was hit and killed by a car.

Residents say they've been worried for some time, and in a neighborhood where cars and horses share a road, they had already asked the city for help.

Horse hit and killed 

The Mesa Police Department said on Wednesday evening around 6 p.m., a car ran into a horse west of Mesa Drive on Lehi Road.

12 News was told a rider got bucked off the horse, and the horse was running back to its stable when the crash happened. 

"Bashed in the windshield and took the roof off," neighbor Kim Warden said. "Literally took the roof off." 

Credit: Kim Warden
Car mangled after running into and killing a horse west of Mesa Drive on Lehi Road in Mesa. Mesa police said the driver had non-life-threatening injuries; however, the horse died.

Mesa police said the driver of the car will recover from their injuries, but the horse died. 

A neighborhood where cars and horses share the road

The Lehi neighborhood is a place with dozens of horses on lots with acreage and open space.

"People are out here riding all the time," Warden said. 

Warden and her neighbor across Lehi Road, Catherine Dragon, both have properties that sit on the corner of Lehi and Mesa Drive. That intersection is made up of a four-way stop sign. 

"We have a bad issue of traffic out here, of speeding and running the stop signs," Warden said. 

Signs posted on the street show the speed limit is 30 miles an hour on Lehi. 

"Why they're not believing us when we tell them that this is a situation?" Dragon said. "Because I hate the words, 'I told you so,' it hurts so bad." 

Dragon said they've brought the concerns to the city. 

"The city needs to help us out with better markings on the road, with maybe LED around the stop signs or something that will help," Dragon said. 

Growing concern

Soccer fields are being built on Center Street near the west end of Lehi Road, leaving the neighbors concerned the traffic and safety issues could get worse. 

"It’s going to happen again," Warden said. "It’s not if, it’s when." 

Mesa City Councilmember Mark Freeman lives in and represents Lehi on the council. Freeman said he believed that Wednesday's crash was isolated. 

"Unfortunately speeding is an issue in the community because you have these open, kind of rural, wide-stretched areas," Freeman said. "We're doing the best we can and keeping the integrity of our neighborhoods." 

Freeman said signs displaying people's speed have been put up and flashing lights for the stop sign at Mesa Drive and Lehi Road are being ordered. 

Freeman said the city is also planning to address any traffic concerns if they arise after the fields are finished in 2022. 

"We stand ready to resolve any issues," Freeman said. 

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