WILSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — “Autobahn” and “death trap” are just two of the ways Wilson County residents have described State Route 109.
Earlier this week, a 16-year-old was reportedly charged with evading and reckless endangerment following a pursuit on that road. News 2 spoke to a witness who saw the driver crash.
“I was coming over Leeville Pike, headed westbound, and I saw this car come from the opposite direction, just flying. He was going so fast,” Marcia Russell recalled.
Russell told News 2 she was heading to physical therapy when she saw a car speed by on State Route 109. A Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) vehicle was not far behind it.
“I’ve never seen a car go that fast on the road other than a racecar,” Russell said.
Speed continues to be a major concern on State Route 109. Back in September, a couple was killed on that road because, according to THP, a speeding driver was passing traffic in the center lane when it rear-ended one car before hitting another vehicle head-on.
“I wish no one would have to go through what I’ve been through, plus the rest of my family. These people fly up and down this road doing 80 miles an hour when the speed limit’s 55. I don’t know what needs to be done,” Robby Miler told News 2 after the death of his father and father’s wife.
After the incident, THP met with state and county officials to discuss how to improve the road. Meanwhile, residents are requesting two more traffic lights to lower the speed limit.
“Oh, it’s a death trap. I mean, there’s a Facebook page [called] ‘Fix 109,'” Russell said.
About 10 years ago, Russell was involved in a crash on State Route 109: “It was a truck coming towards me that had all these wooden pallets on it, and they didn’t have them tied down, and they were flying all over the place, and I ran over one, and there was other people that they hit windshields, and, of course, the driver never stopped to do anything.”
She said it feels like crashes are happening once a week, and after living in Wilson County for over 25 years, something needs to be done
“I want it to go back to the way it was 20 years ago. I miss my little Lebanon, but I don’t know,” Russell told News 2. I mean, the only other thing would be more police presence, but that’s going to start more chases. I am not a city planner, so I don’t know what to do.”
THP said more than 1,600 crashes have been reported along State Route 109 between 2019 and October 2024.
