ARP, Texas (KLTV) – On a typical weekend, you can find Latonya Denise Roberson resting at her home at the intersection of FM 850 and FM 2607. But what’s also become typical for her are car crashes on her property.
“I was laying in my bed, and all of the sudden… boom! And I thought ‘this done happened again,’” recalls Roberson.
She stepped out to the front of her house on Dec. 12 to find a car stuck in the front wall of her home, destroying her front porch, totaling one of her family member’s cars, and damaging the bumper of her own car. It’s the latest of six crashes that’s happened on her property since taking ownership of the home in 2007.
“It done happen six times. Six times on my property. Six times,” Roberson says.
According to crash reports obtained by TxDOT and photos from Roberson, the crashes happen when people fail to stop at when traveling north on FM 2607 towards the intersection of FM 850, miss the barriers, and then drive straight into Roberson’s home. As FM 2607 meets FM 850, FM 2607 curves slightly before forming the T-intersection, where the barriers are placed. If a driver misses the curve, they missing the barriers.
“I fear for my family,” says Roberson, a mother of five and grandmother of 11. “I’ve been here all my life and I don’t want to move.”
We reached out to TxDOT to ask questions about the safety features at the intersection and bring up concerns from Roberson. We received a statement from TxDOT’s Tyler division. Their full statement reads:
“We understand concerns regarding the intersection of FM 850 and FM 2607 in Smith County. The intersection is controlled by standard signage that meet applicable safety and visibility requirements. In 2024, TxDOT upgraded signage at the intersection, including larger signs, to further enhance visibility. TxDOT will continue to monitor the area and encourages motorists to slow down, stay alert, and drive safely.”
“Something else needs to be done. I don’t know if they can’t see these signs, but these people are not stopping out there,” responded Roberson when read TxDOT’s statement during an interview.
All of the crashes impacting Roberson’s property happen at night, when visibility is reduced. According to crash reports from TxDOT and Roberson, many of the crashes involve drunk driving. Two of the crashes directly hit Roberson’s home, while the other four damaged property in her driveway, like electric poles, cars, and other personal property.
Copyright 2025 KLTV. All rights reserved.
link