Round Rock death prompts traffic change

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) - The City of Round Rock is taking action after a little girl's death on Gattis School Road in January.

Round Rock's city manager will recommend a temporary four-way stop on Gattis School Road near where 12-year-old Shayla Dame was killed in a hit and run accident Jan. 28.

Round Rock City Spokesman Will Hampton said the four-way stop would be a temporary fix, until engineers could design and build a stop light in the 1800 Block of Gattis School Road, with city council approval.

"What happened to Shayla was a tragic, tragic, accident," Hampton said. "What we're interested in is what can we do to try and avoid that in the future."

Hampton said more traffic is now funneling into the east driveway of the Clay Madsen Recreation Center, therefore some sort of traffic calming device is needed.

Jai Stewart, a friend of the Dame family, said the family met with Round Rock officials Monday night, and approved of the changes.

"The family wants to let every one know how wonderful the City of Round Rock is being about all of this," Stewart said. "It's a terrible thing that it took such a tragedy to make it happen. But hopefully no one else has to suffer this kind of loss."

The results of the traffic study come after Dame, 12, died in the 1800 block of Gattis School Road.

The C.D. Fulkes sixth-grader was crossing the road near the Clay Madsen Recreation Center about 6:50 p.m. Jan. 28 when she was struck.

Police said the first driver stopped immediately after the accident to help, but the girl never regained consciousness. She died an hour later at a Round Rock hospital.

A 21-year-old woman surrendered to Round Rock police last week after authorities identified her as the second driver in the deadly collision.

Faith Davis, 21, is charged with felony leaving the scene of an accident involving injury or death to a person for her role in the Jan. 28 collision.

More than 100 community members showed up nearly two weeks ago by the accident scene for a roadside memorial and rally for safety improvements.

The City of Round Rock conducted the traffic study of that area during a two-day period last week to consider improvements for pedestrian safety.

Engineers have conducted studies of the intersection of Gattis School Road and Windy Park Drive as recently as 2004 but found that the stretch did not warrant a crosswalk or a traffic signal.

Meanwhile, friends of the Dame Family will hold a silent auction and benefit for the family at the Roadhouse at 1103 Wonder Drive on Feb. 20 beginning at noon.