Drivers fed up with unsafe, illegal dumping
By Michaila Franklin
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JACKSON, Mississippi (WAPT) — A 16 WAPT viewer sent in a video showing an illegal dumping problem on a Jackson road.
“Come on City of Jackson!!! Is Hilda Drive not a part of the city??? I know y’all didn’t put it there but are we just gonna leave it???” she wrote on Facebook.
A 16 WAPT crew went to Hilda Drive, where they saw toilets, dirty clothes hampers and tree debris dumped in the road. All things that don’t belong on a traveled street make it difficult for drivers to get around safely.
Orlando Washington helps manage stables on Hilda Drive. He said not only is this road unsafe for drivers, but it’s also unsafe for the horses.
“Then if you come back to the barn and it’s dark, you’re taking a chance of your horse breaking its ankle in the potholes,” Washington said.
Washington said this disaster of a road is making it hard for him to have horse rides daily by stable visitors.
“We can’t do it now because we have potholes and trash all in the road,” he said. “That will spook your horse.”
Washington said on these rides he’s taking a chance of his horse falling and becoming injured, with the potential of the riders going down with it. He and others have taken to Facebook to draw attention to the growing problem.
People in the area said the road gets very dark and there are no lights. They said people come at night and dump trash as they please.
“You see people in the middle of the road, dumping with their lights off, treading with no lights and come on back out here,” Washington said.
In broad daylight, someone even left their pile of trash up and set it on fire. It was all caught on video.
“I wouldn’t even come down this road, to be honest with you. But by me having this horse, I ain’t got no choice,” Washington told us.
The mayor said he’s aware of issues on Hilda Drive and it’s on their radar. He also said road repairs are prioritized and considered based on traffic count and hose the road services the community.
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